Figures of Speech

Make your writing colorful

 Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are words or phrases that depart
from straightforward literal language. Figures of
speech are often used and crafted for emphasis,
freshness, expression, or clarity.
 SIMILE
A simile is the comparison of two unlike things
using LIKE or AS.

He eats like a pig.

You are as pretty as a picture.
 METAPHOR

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which

something is described with a direct
comparison to something else.
 METAPHOR
“Love is a battle field”

“Thanks for mailing these letters, you are an angel”

“The computer in the classroom is an old turtle”

 ALLITERATION

Alliteration is the repetition of initial

consonant sounds of neighboring words.

Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

 ALLITERATION
“She left the Heaven of Heroes and came down
To make a man to meet the mortal need,
A man to match the mountains and the sea,
The friendly welcome of the wayside well.”

From “Lincoln, the Man of the People”

~Edwin Markham
Matthew met Michael at the Moor.
pecan pie;
super-Size;
tough talk;
trick or treat;
 ONOMATOPOEIA
(on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh)

An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the

sounds it represents.

The chiming of the bells…

The boom of the explosion…
 ONOMATOPOEIA
“Tinkling sleigh bells
Clanging fire bells
Mellow chiming wedding bells
Tolling, moaning, and groaning funeral bells”

From “The Bells”

~Edgar Allan Poe
 HYPERBOLE
A hyperbole is an exaggeration or an
overstatement.
=
His feet are as big as boats!
I nearly died laughing!
 HYPERBOLE
“This research is going to take years.”

“I’m hungry and I could eat a whole cow.”

“I’m so confused and my head is spinning.”

 PERSONIFICATION
Giving human qualities to things that are
not human.

The moon looked down at me.

• The sun kissed me while I was clicking a picture.
• The flowers danced to the wind.
• I felt like the food kept calling me.
• The wind howled in the night.
 IDIOM
A saying that means something
different than what it says.
▪ the choice of words and the way they are
combined that is characteristic of a language.

▪ 2. : an expression that cannot be understood

from the meanings of its separate words but
must be learned as a whole.
 OXYMORON
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that
combines contradictory words with
opposing meanings.

Oxymorons may seem illogical at first, but in

context they usually make sense.
 PALINDROME
Is a word, phrase, verse, sentence, or numbers
that it spelled or reads the same in front wards
and backwards.
Stanley Yelnats
Racecar
Evil Olive
 ASSONANCE

Assonance uses only vowel sounds, but they

can be placed anywhere in the word.
 Examples of Assonance
1. The light of the fire is a sight. (repetition of the long I sound)

2. Go slow over the road. (repetition of the long o sound)

3. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers (repetition of the short e and long I
sounds)

4. Sally sells sea shells beside the sea shore (repetition of the short e and long e
sounds)

5. Try as I might, the kite did not fly. (repetition of the long I sound)
 Apostrophe
Apostrophe as a figure of speech is when a
character addresses someone or something
that isn’t present or cannot respond. The
character might speak to someone deceased,
an inanimate object, or a concept.
▪
1.My heart says to me, "don’t be worried, everything will be
fine.“

2.The Moon, you have seen my tears many times.

3.Love, where are you? I can’t see you anymore!

4.Mother earth, we couldn’t take a good care of you!

5.Rainy days always make my mood better!

6.Oh money, why do you bother all the time?

 Litotes

Litotes use a double negative to create a

positive.

“You’re not wrong.”

 Euphemism

A euphemism is a polite word or expression

that is used to refer to things that people may
find upsetting or embarrassing to talk about.
Euphemism Meaning Euphemism Meaning
Well-to-do Rich Well-off Rich
On the streets Homeless Between jobs Unemployed
Bun in the oven Pregnant Negative cash flow Having debts
Golden years Old age Differently-abled Not possessing
normal physical,
mental and
psychological
abilities
Let one go To fire someone Big-boned Fat or large
Curvy Fat Well-fed Overweight
Pre-owned Used by someone Lay off To fire someone
else
Here are some sentence examples to show you how euphemisms
can be used.

• We have a differently-abled man working as security.

• We got to know that the family was on the streets, and so we are
trying to help them in every way possible.
• Shankar belongs to a well-to-do family.
• The company has been facing negative cash flow for the past few
years.
• Devan’s grandmother seems to be enjoying her golden
years happily and peacefully.
• Rory was planning to go over to her parents’ house to break the
news of the bun in the oven.
 Paradox
A statement that appears to contradict
itself;

Details contrasting ideas in phrases or

whole sentences.
This is the beginning of the end.

My weakness is my strength.