1 - Figures of Speech Flashcards
(47 cards)
Define Simile
A comparison between two different things using “as” or “like”
Define Metaphor
A direct comparison between two unlike
things
Define Personification
Giving human qualities to inanimate
objects
Define Hyperbole
An exaggerated statement for humor
Define Oxymoron
A combination of two contradictory terms.
(e.g., The room was filled with deafening silence)
Define Irony
conveys a meaning that is opposite than the actual meaning/situation/what actually happened
Define Alliteration
The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in multiple words close together.
“We sat around the campfire and
chomped on chunks of charred chicken.”
Define Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u)
Define Antithesis
where two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a
contrasting effect.
e.g., No Pain, No Gain
Define Apostrophe
Addressing someone absent, dead, or non-human as if they’re present.
e.g., “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Define Circumlocation
where a writer or speaker uses a long, complex, and often redundant way of expressing something that could be said more directly.
e.g., “He’s passed away in the better place now” instead of “He’s dead”
Define Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
e.g., “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields.”
Define Epigram
brief, witty, and often paradoxical statement or poem that is memorable and interesting.
e.g., “I can resist everything except
temptation.”
- Oscar Wilde
Define Euphemism
a mild or indirect word or
expression used to replace one that is considered too harsh, blunt, or unpleasant.
e.g., “Considering Options” instead of “Jobless”
Define Metonymy
where one thing is replaced with a word closely associated with it.
e.g., Coast, Hollywood, Broadway
for ocean areas, movie industry, and drama productions
Onomatopoeia
A word that phonetically imitates the
sound it represents.
“Boom!” “Boogsh” for an explosion
Define Paradox
A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
e.g., “Less is More”, “The youth is wasted on the young”
Define a Pun
A play on words that exploits the different meanings of a word or similar-sounding words for humor
“Never trust an atom; they make up
everything.”
Define Synecdoche
When a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing.
“He got a new set of wheels” A Car
“The school sent a letter home” (school representing the administration)
Define an Understatement
A figure of speech where something is
intentionally presented as less important or significant than it is.
Define Zeugma
where a single word, usually a verb or an adjective, applies to more than one noun, blended grammatically with different logical ideas. usually for humor or drama.
“He stole my heart and my wallet”
“He broke my heart and my car”
Define Chiasmus
two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures to produce an artistic effect.
“Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool
You”
Define Litotes
using double negatives or, in other
words, a positive statement expressed by negating its opposite expressions.
“Not bad” to mean “okay.
“I can’t disagree”
What figure of speech is used in the phrase ‘The world is a stage’?
Metaphor
