One meaning of the word "figure" is "image" or "picture." Figurative language creates pictures in the mind of the reader. These figures help convey meaning and understanding faster and more vividly than words alone. We use "figures of speech" in figurative language to color and interest, and to awaken the imagination. Figurative language is everywhere, from classical works by Shakespeare and the Bible to everyday speech. It is even in tons of pop music, television shows, and commercials.
Figurative language is the opposite of literal language, which mean exactly what it says.
Example: He ran fast. (literal)
He ran like the wind. (figurative)
Works Cited- www.englishclub.com
Terms : Hide Images
| 9843432382 | Personification | Using human characteristics to describe non-human things (objects, animals) Example sentence: The delicious bread danced in my stomach. |  | 0 |
| 9843432383 | Metaphor | Comparison between two unrelated things NOT using words such as "like" or "as"- an assertion that one thing IS another thing Example: How could she marry that snake? |  | 1 |
| 9843432384 | Onomatopoeia | Word that imitates a sound BANG! |  | 2 |
| 9843432385 | Imagery | Descriptive language that creates a picture in one's mind while reading Example: The busy squirrels ran through the lush, green trees, chasing acorns and packing them away for colder days. |  | 3 |
| 9843432386 | Hyperbole | Gross over-exaggeration for emphasis/effect Example sentence: I've said that a million times. |  | 4 |
| 9843432387 | Alliteration | Repetition of beginning consonant sounds. Example: The fog filtered over the field finally hiding the fence. |  | 5 |
| 9843432388 | Simile | Comparison between two unrelated things using "like" or "as." Example: Jose sleeps like a log. |  | 6 |
| 9843432389 | Symbol | Object used to represent an idea or concept. Example: Kiowa's New Testament was a symbol of his father, his family, his faith. |  | 7 |
| 9843432390 | Irony | Using a word or a phrase to mean exactly opposite of its normal meaning. Example: Calling a boy "Stretch" when he is short. |  | 8 |
| 9843432391 | Oxymoron | Using two contradictory words for a special effect. Example: Jumbo shrimp |  | 9 |
| 9843432392 | Pun | One word sounds the same as another word with different meaning; a play on words Example: "A clock goes back four seconds." |  | 10 |
| 9843432393 | Assonance | Repetition of vowel sounds- not rhyming because end consonants don't match Example: Great Lake |  | 11 |
| 9843432394 | Consonance | Repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within the words of a phrase (not limited to beginnings, like alliteration. Example: Sally sells seashells on the seashores |  | 12 |
| 9843432395 | Euphemism | Using appropriate language to describe something inappropriate or uncomfortable. Example: "Restroom" instead of "Toilet" |  | 13 |
| 9843432396 | Cliche | Overused expression that loses its meaning Example: "As busy as a bee." |  | 14 |
| 9843432397 | Juxtaposition | Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts Example: The innocent young girl walks through the haunted hallway. |  | 15 |
| 9843432398 | Synecdoche | A figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole, or vise versa. Example: "All hands on deck" |  | 16 |
| 9843432399 | Metonymy | A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated Example: "crown" for "royalty" |  | 17 |
| 9843432400 | Paradox | A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. (Think of the beginning of Dickens' Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....") |  | 18 |
| 9843432401 | Antithesis | An opposition or contrast of ideas in the same or neighboring sentence. Example: "One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind." |  | 19 |
| 9843432402 | Litotes | A phrase that emphasizes the magnitude of a statement by denying its opposite Example: "Hitler was no angel." |  | 20 |
| 9843432403 | Apostrophe | In poetry, an apostrophe is a term used when a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present in the poem A figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply Example: "Oh, Wind! Stop blowing my hair!" |  | 21 |
| 9843432404 | Allusion | Indirect reference to a well-known person, place, or thing in literature Example: "I have a dream that my students will pass this test." |  | 22 |
