Reference Sheet - Figures Of Speech

Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that is mainly used to compare two or more things that
possess a similar quality. It uses words such as „like‟ or „as‟ to make the comparison.

According to the Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary, a simile is defined as “a word or phrase

that compares something to something else, using the words like or as.” The
Cambridge Dictionary defines a simile as “an expression comparing one thing with
another, always including the words as or like”. “A simile is an expression which
describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something else”, according
to the Collins Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a simile as “a
figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as.”
1. Iniyan is always as busy as a bee.
2. My cousin chatters like a monkey.
3. Kitty is as proud as a peacock.
4. Sruthy works like a sloth.
5. My dog, Shadow, eats like a pig after I take him for a walk.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison, but in a way

different from a simile. It makes the comparison as if it was literally true. In other
words, it can be said that a metaphor is an implied comparison.

A metaphor, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “an expression,

often found in literature, that describes a person or object by referring to something
that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object.” According
to the Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary, a metaphor is defined as “a word or phrase used
to describe somebody/something else, in a way that is different from its normal use, in
order to show that the two things have the same qualities and to make the description
more powerful.” The Collins Dictionary defines a metaphor as “an imaginative way of
describing something by referring to something else which is the same in a particular
way”, and according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a metaphor is “a figure of
speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used
in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.”

1. My mom has a heart of gold.

2. My friend‟s sister, Sharon, is a night owl.

3. My hands were icicles because of the cold weather.
4. You just have to consider the world a stage and act accordingly.
5. You have ideas flowing one after the other. Your mind is an ocean

Personification
Personification is a figure of speech that is used to attribute human characteristics to
something that is not human. It can also be used to personify an abstract quality.
Personification, according to the Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary, is defined as “the
practice of representing objects, qualities, etc. as humans, in art and literature; an
object, quality, etc. that is represented in this way.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines
personification as “the act of giving a human quality or characteristic to something
which is not human.”
1. The sun kissed me while I was clicking a picture.
2. The flowers danced to the wind.
3. My clothes stood so erect as if someone had ordered them to stay in attention,
as soon as I had ironed them.
4. I felt like the food kept calling me.
5. The stars were sparkling and winking at all of us.
Alliteration
Alliteration is a literary device that uses similar phonetic sounds in continuity to make
an effect. This device is usually used to decorate the words with a musical, lyrical or
emotional effect.
The Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary defines alliteration as “the use of the same letter or
sound at the beginning of words that are close together.” According to the Cambridge
Dictionary, alliteration is defined as “the use, especially in poetry, of the same sound
or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close
together.”
1. The little girl was excited to see the dazzling and dainty stars in the sky.
2. You have got to fight the fight.
3. Love‟s Labour Lost is one among the comedy plays of William Shakespeare.
4. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
5. My brother saw a big, black bug sitting on the bushes in his garden.

Assonance
Assonance is a figure of speech that is characterised by the use of words having similar
vowel sounds consecutively. It can be said to be a variation of alliteration.
The Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary defines the term „assonance‟ as “the effect created
when two syllables in words that are close together have the same vowel sound, but
different consonants”. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, assonance is defined
as “the similarity in sound between two syllables that are close together, created by the
same vowels but different consonants”, and “the use of the same vowel sound with
different consonants or the same consonant with different vowels in successive words
or stressed syllables, as in a line of verse”, according to the Collins Dictionary.
1. We hope we knew someone who could make a caramel cake and blueberry
cupcakes.
2. We bought eight bright dresses for the children.
3. “Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze”
4. They were trying to light the fire for such a long time.
5. “A rolling stone gathers no moss”
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is a rhetorical device that is mainly used to make something look and
sound a lot better than it actually is. In other words, it can be said to be a form of
exaggeration.
The Oxford Learner‟s Dictionary defines a hyperbole as “a way of speaking or writing
that makes something sound better, more exciting, more dangerous, etc. than it really
is”. According to the Collins Dictionary, a hyperbole is an expression that is used to
“say or write things that make something sound much more impressive than it really
is”.
 When she did the flips at the dance, she landed as light as a feather.
 I am so hungry I could eat all the food here.

 My brother said that he had a million things to do when he was actually sitting idly.

 Amrita carried home a ton of papers that she had to grade before Friday.

 Rory went on forever about the city she lived in

 Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses two opposite or contradictory terms one
after the other in order to project an effect. According to the Oxford Learner‟s
Dictionary, oxymoron is defined as “a phrase that combines two words that seem to
be the opposite of each other.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an oxymoron as
“two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings.”
An oxymoron, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “a
combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” The Collins Dictionary defines
an oxymoron as “a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms
are combined.”
1. It is always a love-hate relationship between us.
2. I can never manage such a deafening silence.
3. The company faced a minor crisis in the last year, which affected the
company to a great extent.
4. Their restlessness was projected like a silent scream for help.
5. I have zero tolerance for dishonesty.
Pun
A pun is a figure of speech that includes a play of words that have more than one
meaning or those that sound alike. Among the figures of speech, pun can be said to be
the most intriguing and amusing. All that one requires is a creative intellect and some
wit to create humorous puns.
Now, take a look at how various dictionaries define the term „pun‟. The Oxford
Learner‟s Dictionary defines „pun‟ as “the clever or humorous use of a word that has
more than one meaning, or of words that have different meanings but sound the
same”, and according to the Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, the term „pun‟ is
explained as “an expression that achieves emphasis or humour by contriving an
ambiguity, two distinct meanings being suggested either by the same word or by two
similar-sounding words.” The dictionary also mentions „paronomasia‟ as an alternate
term to refer to „pun‟.
1. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery

Popularized by test pilots, the idiom ‘pushing the envelope’ is another way of saying testing
limits. While the envelope we often refer to can be purchased at an office supply store,
the double meaning of this compound pun creates a priceless pun example.

2. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t put it down.

Subtle, with a bit of common sense and confusion sprinkled in. The aha moment
comes in the double meaning of „can‟t put it down‟.

Figuratively, you know how hard it is to put a captivating book down. Literally,
without gravity the book will float as you try to put it down.

Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device that is used to express an intended meaning by using
language that conveys the opposite meaning when taken literally. The Oxford
Learner‟s Dictionary defines the term „irony‟ as “the use of words that say the opposite
of what you really mean, often as a joke and with a tone of voice that shows this”.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, irony is defined as “the use of words
to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning”,
and according to the Collins Dictionary, irony is “a subtle form of humour which
involves saying things that you do not mean”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines
irony as “the use of words that are the opposite of what you mean, as a way of being
funny”.
 The pilot has a height phobia.
This is it given right? A pilot whose job is to be in the Heights both literally and
figuratively is scared of heights. So, how will the pilot do his job?

 Emily takes a social media detox, only to record everything on her trip.
This is something that we all can relate to. We all know the adverse effects of social
media and how its excess usage can drive us insane. But we are so invested and tied by
technology especially after Covid that we just cannot take it out of our lives.

So, it is a never-ending spiral. One more example would be posting about social media
detox on social media.

 The chair of the environmental department has internal air-conditioning at his

house.
We all know how air conditioners are bad for the environment. Similarly, the chair of
the environmental department is responsible to take care of the environment, and
while on his job he advocates for it all day.

Meanwhile, his house has the most carbon footprint in the entire city because of its
internal air-conditioning system which he was able to afford by advocating for the
environment at his job.

Sibilance
Sibilance is a useful alliterative tool that writers use to evoke reactions in their readers.
Sibilance is a type of literary device and figure of speech wherein a hissing sound is
created in a group of words through the repetition of 's' sounds. For example, “Sarah's
silly sister swallowed her sweet.” Sibilance can also include more than just 's' sounds.
Sibilance occurs when the consonant 's' sound is stressed, commonly in 'sh', 'z', and 's'.

The slimy, scaly, snake slithered through the wet grass, sliding through the door and into
the kitchen.

'The slimy, scaly, snake slithered through the wet grass, sliding through the door and into
the kitchen.'The plethora of 's' sounds in the sentence mimics the traditional connotations
of a snake: the hissing 'sss' sound it makes and the image of it slinking through the grass.
The use of sibilance reinforces the meaning of the sentence.