Do you know what a figure of speech is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on figures of speech, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Your Dictionary, a figure of speech is a type of figurative language that has a different meaning than its literal definition. These figures of speech do not use the literal meaning of something, but are literary devices that use imagery, exaggeration, the repetition of a consonant sound of vowel sound, human characteristics, or other devices to enhance prose and poetry. The different types of figure of speech include personification (when someone gives human qualities to an animal or inanimate object), metonymy, an apostrophe, assonance (repetition of a word or group of words with the same vowel sounds or resemblances), implication, ellipsis, analogy, omission, substitution, inversion, circumlocution, anaphora, climax, sarcasm, simile, conceit, metaphor, alliteration, symbolism, hyperbole and understatement, idiom, onomatopoeia, synecdoche, and cliche or tropes. Fiction authors like Shakespeare used all of these in works like Romeo and Juliet, and they are also used in the Bible and in speeches by people like Martin Luther King Jr.. Different figures of speech and syntax are always used for a reason. Understanding how to use the nonliteral sense of a word or phrase as opposed to literal meanings of words in everyday speech will help you understand more literature.
What are examples of figures of speech?
The common types of figure of speech can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of figures of speech from Your Dictionary that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.
Wheels – a car
Fred fried frogs’ legs on Friday.
It’s a little dry and sandy – referring to the driest desert in the world.
Everybody knows that.
As blind as a bat
It stings a bit – referring to a serious wound or injury.
She’s older than dirt.
The weather is cooler today – referring to sub-zero temperatures.
The flowers nodded.
Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)
I came, I saw, I conquered. – Julius Caesar
I could do this forever.
Hired hands – workers
Kosher ham
Plastic – credit cards
A little thin on top’ instead of ‘going bald.’
Blue baby bonnets bobbed through the bayou.
Naming a tiny Chihuahua Brutus. (Verbal irony)
Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! – King John II, William Shakespeare
Eats like a pig
He’s an ogre
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end… we shall never surrender. – Winston Churchill
From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. (Frost)
Oh hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. (Wordsworth)
Nick needed new notebooks.
It’s just a scratch – referring to a large dent.
Sweet sorrow
Buzz
She sells seashells.
Whoosh
She’s a night owl
Peace force
Like peas in a pod
Oink
Coke – any cola drink
The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)
Time is money
I’ve told you to stop a thousand times.
The police – one policeman
It was interesting – referring to a bad or difficult experience.
As slippery as an eel
The fog crept in.
A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)
‘Letting you go’ instead of ‘firing you.’
‘Passed away’ instead of ‘died.’
The thunder grumbled.
Splat
Click
That must have cost a billion dollars.
Free market
As wise as an owl
The wind howled.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. – A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
When the audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie, but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)
The world is a stage
‘Economical with the truth’ instead of ‘liar.’
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right. – Abraham Lincoln
“How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
Heart of stone
‘Fell of the back of a truck’ instead of ‘stolen.’
Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to thee. (Coleridge)
Walter wondered where Winnie was.
The snowflakes danced.
Jumbo shrimp
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore. (Poe)
What are other literary techniques and devices?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these devices because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of literary devices from Reedsy and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.
Overall, figures of speech are a large category of figurative language in which a word or group of words is used in a non literal way. These are often used in literature and prose to add color to writing.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
December 19, 2021
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