Seminario De San Jose
Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa City
5300 Palawan, Philippines P.O. Box 34
Creative Nonfiction HUMSS 12
What are Figures of Speech?
It is an integral part of any language, which is used extensively not only in our day-to-day speech but also
in written texts and oral literature. These are words or phrases used in a distinctive way to produce a
rhetorical effect.
To say it in very simple terms, it is a phrase whose actual meaning is different from its literal meaning.
1.) Personification attributes human nature or human qualities to abstract or
inanimate objects. For example, we often use the phrases like the howling wind,
dancing leaves, time flies etc. Some examples of personification in a sentence are:
The opportunity knocked at his door
The plants in her house silently begged to be watered
Lightning danced across the sky
The wind howled in the night.
2.) Metaphor is used for implying a comparison between two things that have
something in common but are in general different from each other. Some examples
of the usage of metaphors in a sentence is as follows:
It is raining cats and dogs
He is the star of our class
Life is a highway.
Her eyes were diamonds.
3.) Simile is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different from
each other but have similar qualities. These are generally formed through the usage
of the words ‘as’ or ‘like’. Some examples of similes in a sentence include:
He is as brave as a lion
Her expression was as cold as ice
Swim like a fish
As light as a feather
4.) Alliteration is a sentence that consists of a series of words that have the same
consonant sound at the beginning. Some popular examples of alliteration in a
sentence include:
She sells sea shells on the seashore
A good cook could cook as many cookies as a good cook who could cook
cookies
All Adam ate in August was apples and almonds
Barry bought a book to bring to the backyard barbecue
5.) Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that is used to express a sound. To be
more precise, it involves the use of words that imitate the sounds associated with
the action or object referred to i.e. hiss, clap etc. Some examples of onomatopoeia
include:
The buzzing bee flew over my head
The stone hit the water with a splash
The boulder hit the ground with a flump.
Leaves rustle in the wind and are whipped into the air.
6.) Hyperbole is a figure of speech that consists of an exaggeration. It is the usage
of exaggerated terms in order to emphasize or heighten the effect of something.
Some examples of using hyperboles in a sentence include:
I have told you a million times to not touch my stuff!
She has got a pea-sized brain
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
She’s as old as the hills.
7.) Euphemism is the usage of a mild word in substitution of something that is
more explicit or harsh when referring to something unfavorable or unpleasant.
Some examples of its usage include:
This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people
He passed away in his sleep
Passed away” instead of “died”
“Let go” instead of “fired”
8.) Irony or sarcasm is a figure of speech in which the usage of words conveys the
opposite of their literal meaning. These are often used in a humorous manner. Some
examples of irony include:
Your hands are as clean as mud
The dinner you served was as hot as ice
Coming home to a big mess and saying, “it’s great to be back”
Telling a rude customer to “have a nice day”
9.) Anaphora is a repetition of a word or phrase at the start of several sentences of
clauses. Some of the examples of anaphora are as follows:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” Speech
Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
“Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.”
“Get busy living or get busy dying.”
10.) Apostrophe addresses a subject that is not present in the work. In this case,
the object is absent or inanimate. Here are some examples of apostrophes.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are
Welcome, O life!
Alarm clock, please don’t fail me.
Seven, you are my lucky number!
11.) Puns are among the most frequently used figures of speech in daily
conversation. They may be great conversation starters since they make you sound
clever and occasionally even humorous. Here are a few instances of puns in speech:
Denial is a river in Egypt (referring to The Nile using the word Denial).
Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
Everyone thinks my runny nose is funny, but it’s snot.
12.) Paradox is a figure of speech, like ironies, emphasize something by discussing
the exact opposite of it. A paradox, on the other hand, differs from irony in that it
does not make the contrast as evident. Let’s examine two instances of paradoxical
figures of speech:
“Some of my biggest triumphs have also been failures,” (According to US
actress Pearl Bailey)
“War is good. Slavery is freedom. “Ignorance is power,” (As said by English
author George Orwell)
Save money by spending it
If I know one thing, it’s that I know nothing
13.) Oxymoron is a figure of speech, which should not be confused with ironies and
paradoxes, links two opposing ideas at once. This indicates that two opposing
concepts are utilized inside a single sentence to create levity in an oxymoron figure
of speech. For instance,
This is another fine mess you have got us into
Suddenly the room filled with a deafening silence
The comedian was seriously funny
You are clearly confused by the situation you have found yourself in
14.) Assonance makes use of internal vowels in nearby words that are the same or
comparable in sound. Here are a few examples of assonance in speech:
How now, brown cow?
The light of the fire is a sight
Go slow over the road
Try as I might, the kite did not fly
15.) Metonymy is a figure of speech when one term or phrase is used in place of
another with which it is closely related. It is also a rhetorical technique used to
describe something indirectly by making references to objects around it. Here are a
few instances of Metonym:
“That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman,” the
manager said angrily.
The pen is mightier than the sword”
I’m a Silicon Valley guy. I just think people from Silicon Valley can do
anything.
Most of the successful people in Hollywood are failures as human beings.
50 Figures of Speech Examples
When dissolving like soap in water. (Smile)
John is a goat. (Metaphor)
A rain starts or thinner, then look at the joy in the soil, the birds told me that you are going to
distant lands. That beautiful sound of mountain has traveled all around. (Personification)
The wave of the sea did not go as far as my heart. (Hyperbole)
Can you hear the clicks coming from the roof? (Onomatopoeia)
The monkey ate the beans in his hand. (Onomatopoeia)
I could not sleep through my mother snort during the night. (Onomatopoeia)
The flowing waters of the waterfall took all my troubles. (Onomatopoeia)
The food in the cauldron was boiling scalding. (Onomatopoeia)
I don’t want to hear the buzz of the fly standing by my ear. (Onomatopoeia)
He suddenly exploded when he threw the ball into the thorns. (Onomatopoeia)
I lubricated the creaking door hinges beautifully. (Onomatopoeia)
Daredevil: someone who takes unnecessary risks
Cheapskate: someone who hates to spend money
Joined at the hip: to be exceptionally close to someone
Elbow grease: hard physical effort
Oddball: a weirdo or a strange person
Down-To-Earth: sensible and realistic
Go-Getter: a person who is active, energetic, and has the initiative to pursue the things they want.
Break a leg: good luck
Cutting corners: Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
Hang in there: Don’t give up
Pull yourself together: Calm down
So far so good: Things are going well so far
A busybody: always wants to know about other people’s private lives
Oddball: a weirdo or a strange person
Down-To-Earth: sensible and realistic
Forty winks: a short nap
Barrel of laugh: someone who is very funny
Old as the hills: some who is very old
Red tape; Official or bureaucratic tasks
To be yellow; To be cowardly
To see red; To be very angry
Black out; Faint
Black and blue; Describe something that is badly bruised
Golden opportunity; The perfect chance
Have the blues; Be sad or depressed
Black sheep; A person who is a disgrace to a family or group
That’s a storm in a teacup, stop fussing about it, you can do it.
The air hostess greeted the passengers with a sunny smile.
They have the intention to flood the market with their new mobile phones.
If someone has a clean bill of health, they apply to many profession
My grandmother’s old, but she’s as fit as a fiddle.
If you a few days of rest and medication, you’ll be as fit as a fiddle.
I’m sorry I can’t make it. I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.
If someone looks or feels like ill or tired, they look death warmed up.
Oh dear! You look like death warmed up, I think doctor will prescribe you a lot of medicine. You
shouldn’t be working all night when you’re so ill, you looks like death warmed up.
My mum’s not worried about the operation. She’s been under the knife several times.
Stacy went under the knife last week.
