Figures of Speech

Alliteration (əlɪtəˈreɪʃ(ə)n)
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of
neighbouring words.

Examples:
- She sells seashells.
- Nick needed new notebooks.

Anaphora (əˈnaf(ə)rə)
Anaphora is a technique where several phrases or
verses begin with the same word or words.

Examples:
- I came, I saw, I conquered.
- Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!
- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it
was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness.
- With malice toward none; with charity for all; with
firmness in the right.

Anti-climax (antɪˈklʌɪmaks)
Anti-climax is when a specific point, expectations are
raised, everything is built-up and then suddenly
something boring or disappointing happens.
Example: "People, pets, batteries, ... all are dead."

Antithesis (anˈtɪθəsɪs)
Antithesis is the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in
balanced phrases.

Example:
As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices
have very few virtues."

Apostrophe (əˈpɒstrəfi)
Apostrophe is directly addressing a non-existent person
or an inanimate object as though it were a living being.

Example: "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I

need you to," Bert sighed.
Assonance (ˈas(ə)nəns)
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds (not just
letters) in words that are close together. The sounds
don't have to be at the beginning of the word.

Examples:
A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the
angels named Lenore.
E - Therefore, all seasons shall be sweet to
thee.
I - From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with
those who favour fire.
O - Oh hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.

Chiasmus (kʌɪˈazməs, kɪˈazməs)

Chiasmus is a verbal pattern in which the second half
of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.

Example: The famous chef said, “People should live to

eat, not eat to live.”

Climax (ˈklʌɪmaks)
Climax is the arrangement of words in order of
descending to ascending order.
I came, I saw, I conquered.

Epistrophe (ɪˈpɪstrəfi, ɛˈpɪstrəfi)

Epistrophe (also known as antistrophe) is repetition of
the same word or group of words at the end of
successive clauses.

Example:

When I was a child,

I spoke as a child,
I understood as a child,
I thought as a child.

Euphemism (ˈjuːfəmɪz(ə)m)
Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term that often
substitutes a harsh, blunt, or offensive term.

Examples include:
- 'Passed away' instead of 'died.'
- 'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald.'
- 'Fell off the back of a truck' instead of 'stolen.'
- 'Letting you go' instead of 'firing you.'
- 'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar.'
Hyperbole (hʌɪˈpəːbəli)
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Examples:
- I've told you to stop a thousand times.
- That must have cost a billion dollars.
- I could do this forever.
- She's older than dirt.
- Everybody knows that.

Irony (ˈʌɪrəni)
Irony occurs when there's a marked contrast between
what is said and what is meant, or between appearance
and reality.

Examples:-
- "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)
- When the audience knows the killer is hiding in a
closet in a scary movie, but the actors do not.
(Dramatic irony)

Litotes (lʌɪˈtəʊtiːz)
Litotes is a figure of speech consisting of an
understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by
negating its opposite.

Example: A million dollars is no small chunk of

change.

Simile (ˈsɪmɪli)
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things
using the words "like" or "as."

Examples:

- As slippery as an eel
- Like peas in a pod
- As blind as a bat
- As wise as an owl
Metonymy (mɪˈtɒnɪmi)
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a word or
phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely
associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing
something indirectly by referring to things around it.

Example: "That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor

excuse for a salesman," the manager said angrily.

Metaphor (ˈmɛtəfə,ˈmɛtəfɔː)
A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike
things or ideas. It is an implied simile.

Examples:
- Heart of stone
- Time is money
- The world is a stage
- She's a night owl
- He's an ogre
Onomatopoeia (ˌɒnə(ʊ)matəˈpiːə)
Onomatopoeia is the term for a word that sounds like
what it is describing.

Examples:
- Whoosh
- Splat
- Buzz
- Click
- Oink

Oxymoron (ˌɒksɪˈmɔːrɒn)
An oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together.

Examples:

- Peace force
- Jumbo shrimp
- Sweet sorrow
- Free market

Paradox (ˈparədɒks)
Paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself.

Example: This is the beginning of the end.

Personification (pəˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n)
Personification gives human qualities to non-living
things or ideas.

Examples:
- The flowers nodded.
- The snowflakes danced.
- The thunder grumbled.
- The fog crept in.
- The wind howled.

Pun (pʌn)
Pun is a play on words, sometimes on different senses
of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense
or sound of different words.

Examples:

I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but

then it struck me.

I've been to the dentist many times so I know the drill.

If you don't pay your exorcist, you will get repossessed.

The tallest building in town is the library — it has

thousands of stories!

It’s difficult for crabs to share because they are

shellfish.

Synecdoche (sɪˈnɛkdəki)
Synecdoche occurs when a part is represented by the
whole or, conversely, the whole is represented by the
part.

Examples:
- Wheels - a car
- The police - one policeman
- Hired hands – workers

Tautology (tɔːˈtɒlədʒi)
Tautology is redundancy due to superfluous
qualification; saying the same thing twice

Examples:
The evening sunset was beautiful.
In my opinion, I think he is wrong.
Understatement
(ʌndəˈsteɪtm(ə)nt,ˈʌndəsteɪtm(ə)nt)

An understatement occurs when something is said to

make something appear less important or less serious.

Examples:
- It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent.
- It's a little dry and sandy - referring to the driest
desert in the world.
- The weather is 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.