hyperbole exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

● I slept like a rock last night.

● These high heels are killing me.

meiosis Meiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to

produce four cells containing half the original amount
of genetic information.

● The Troubles (a period of violence in Northern

Ireland)
● Our Peculiar Institution (slavery in the American
south before the Civil War)

litotes ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the

negative of its contrary
● It's not rocket science. ...
● He's no spring chicken. ...

metonymy the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the
thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the turf for
horse racing.
● Crown. (For the power of a king.)
● The White House. (Referring to the American
administration.)
● Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)

metaphor a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object

or action to which it is not literally applicable.

● Her lovely voice was music to his ears.

● The world is a stage.
● My kid's room is a disaster area.
● Life is a rollercoaster.

irony the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally

signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
● A fire station burns down. ...
● A marriage counselor files for divorce. ...

synecdoche a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or

vice versa, as in England lost by six wickets

● The phrase "hired hands" can be used to refer to

workers. ...
● The word "head" can refer to counting cattle or
 people. ...
● The word "bread" can be used to represent food. ...
● The word "wheels" refers to a vehicle. ...

periphrasis the use of indirect and circumlocutory speech or writing.

euphemism a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered

to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or
embarrassing.
● “Passed away” instead of “died”
● “Let go” instead of “fired”
● “Make love” instead of “sex”
● “Put down” instead of “euthanized”

epithet an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as

characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
wonderful day

antonomasia the use of a proper name to express a general idea

personification the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to

something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality
in human form.
● Lightning danced across the sky.
● The wind howled in the night.
● The car complained as the key was roughly turned
in its ignition.
● Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.

simile a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with

another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more
emphatic or vivid

synonyms a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another
word or phrase in the same language

● different - dissimilar, distinct, unusual

● difficult - grueling, hard, strenuous
● effective - functional, operational, successful
● example - illustration, like, such as
● excited - exhilarated, electrified, thrilled
● fair - just, objective, impartial, unbiased
 ● focus - center, cornerstone, focal point

oxymoron a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in

conjunction

absent presence (Sidney 1591)

alone together
awful good
beggarly riches (Donne 1624)
bittersweet
brisk vacancy (Ashbery 1975)
cheerful pessimist
civil war
clearly misunderstood
comfortable misery (Koontz 2001)
conspicuous absence
cool passion
crash landing
cruel kindness

antithesis a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or

something else.

Examples:
These are examples of antithesis:

■ "Man proposes, God disposes." - Source

unknown.
■ "Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." -
Goethe.
■ "That's one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind." - Neil Armstrong.
■ "To err is human; to forgive divine." - Alexander
Pope.
■ "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." -
William Shakespeare.
■ "Many are called, but few are chosen."
 Matthew 22:14.

climax the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; the

culmination.
1. A little girl has been looking for her lost dog. She hears a
bark coming from around the corner, and she looks around
to see . . .
2. Kevin has worked very hard to try out for the soccer
team at school. The coach has posted a list of this year's
team members on his office door. Kevin walks forward to
look at the list . . . .
3. Mary's parents have been discussing whether or not to
move to another state. They call Mary and her sister down
to talk with them about their decision . . .
4. Lois has performed in the state gymnastics finals. She
waits anxiously to hear the names of the winners. The
announcer says, "And first place goes to . . ."
5. The school's football team is down by three points in the
fourth quarter. They are in field goal range. The kicker
kicks, the ball is up, and the kick is . . . (good or bad?).

anticlimax a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.

1. Tension builds in a horror movie as a young girl
approaches a closed door. There is a scratching sound
coming from behind the door. When she opens it, a cat
comes out.
2. You are riding a roller coaster, and it begins to climb a
steep hill slowly. The roller coaster reaches the top of the
hill, and you brace yourself to begin a steep drop down the
hill. But, the track evens out and you go straight instead of
 down.
3. A firefighter enters a burning house because he hears
what sounds like a child crying. When he reaches the
sound, all he finds is a cat, meowing loudly. When he
emerges from the house, the entire family is standing there
safe and sound.

zeugma a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different

senses

● The disgruntled worker quickly took his belongings and his

leave.
● She kicked that bad habit and soon after the bucket.
● The student observed the specimen with a
microscope and some disgust.
● The storm sank my boat and my dreams.
● In quick succession, Susan lost her job, her house
and her mind!
● She had already exhausted her kids and her patience
by the end of the first day of summer vacation.

pun a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the

fact that there are words which sound alike but have different
meanings.

Examples of homophonic puns are:

● Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a-salted.

● Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.
● No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be
stationery.
Examples of compound puns are:

● One hundred hares have escaped the zoo, so police are

combing the area.
● Everyone thinks my runny nose is funny, but it's snot.
● Did you hear about the lumberjack who couldn't hack it?
They gave him the axe.
● Jungle animals are very fair. Cheetahs are always spotted.
● A short psychic broke out of jail. She was a small medium
at large.