A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning other than the literal meaning.
It can be
a metaphor or simile that's designed to further explain a concept. Or it can be the repetition
of alliteration or exaggeration of hyperbole to give further emphasis or effect. There are many
different types of figures of speech in the English language. We will give you examples of some
of the most commonly used types here.
Examples of Figures of Speech
Using Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words. Examples are:
She sells seashells.
Walter wondered where Winnie was.
Blue baby bonnets
Nick needed new notebooks.
Fred fried frogs.
Using Anaphora
Anaphora is a technique where several phrases (or verses in a poem) begin with the same word
or words. Examples are:
I came, I saw, I conquered - Julius Caesar
Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare
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
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right - Abraham
Lincoln
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end... we shall never surrender - Winston
Churchill
Using Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together. Examples are:
A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore (Poe)
E - Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee (Coleridge)
I - From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire (Frost)
O - Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn (Wordsworth)
U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)
Using a Euphemism
Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term.
Examples are:
'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald'
'Homeless' instead of 'bum'
'Letting him go' instead of 'firing him'
'Passed away' instead of 'died'
'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar'
Using Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples are:
I’ve told you a hundred times
It cost a billion dollars
I could do this forever
She is older than dirt
Everybody knows that
Using Irony
Irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance
and reality. Examples are:
“How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)
The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)
Naming a Chihuahua Brutus (Verbal irony)
The audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie but the actors do not.
(Dramatic irony)
Using Metaphor
Metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples are:
Heart of stone
Time is money
The world is a stage
She is a night owl
He is an ogre
Using Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples are:
Whoosh
Splat
Buzz
Click
Oink
Using Oxymoron
Oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together. Examples are:
Peace force
Kosher ham
Jumbo shrimp
Small crowd
Free market
Using Personification
Personification is giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples are:
The flowers nodded
Snowflakes danced
Thunder grumbled
Fog crept in
The wind howled
Using Simile
Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." Examples are:
As slippery as an eel
Like peas in a pod
As blind as a bat
Eats like a pig
As wise as an owl
Using Synecdoche
Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or the whole is represented by a part. Examples
are:
Wheels - a car
The police - one policeman
Plastic - credit cards
Coke - any cola drink
Army - a soldier
Using Understatement
Understatement is when something is said to make something appear less important or less
serious. Examples are:
It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent
It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world
The weather is a little cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures
It was interesting - referring to a bad or difficult experience
It stings a bit - referring to a serious wound or injury
These examples of figures of speech were selected to show a variety of stylistic and rhetorical
devices that make the English language more creative, more expressive, and more interesting.
