Figures of Speech

Prepared by
Ahmed Riaz & Muhammad Badar
XII-D
 Figures of Speech
Definition:
Figurative language is a literary device that uses words or phrases for effect,
humorous, or exaggeration purposes, instead of their literal translation.
Types:
 Simile
 Metaphor
 Personification
 Alliteration
 Irony
 Assonance
 Hyperbole
 Understatement
 Oxymoron
 Apostrophe
Simile
Definition:
A simile is a figure of speech in which two essentially dissimilar objects or
concepts are expressly compared with one another through the use of “like” or
“as.”
Simile is used as a literary device to assert similarity with the help of like or as,
which are language constructs that establish equivalency.
Examples:
 The shiny new bicycle was like a new toy.
 A red like blood.
 The fall of the empire was as swift as a falling star.
 Beautiful as advertising.
 He acts like a bull in a china shop!
Metaphor
Definition:
A word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to
show or suggest that they are similar without using “like” or “as” is known as
metaphor. It is one of the most important types of figures of speech.
Examples:
 Time is a thief.
 Eyes are the windows to the soul.
 This is the icing on the cake.
 Hope is on the horizon.
 He has a heart of gold.
 America is a melting pot.
Personification
Definition:
Personification is a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is given human
attributes and/or feelings or is spoken of as if it were human.
In other words,
Personification is a type of metaphor that describes non-humans’ looks, actions, and
purposes with language typically reserved for human characters.
Examples:
 My heart danced when he walked in the room.
 The hair on my arms stood after the performance.
 The wind is whispering outside.
 Additionally, that picture says a lot.
 Her eyes are not smiling at us.
 Those windows are watching us.
Alliteration
Definition:
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, not just letters. Alliterative words don’t have to be
right next to each other. Other words can appear between them. Alliteration is found often in
poetry and prose, as well as in commercial writing like brand names and marketing taglines.
Examples:
 rocky road
 big business
 kissing cousins
 jumping jacks
 no nonsense
 tough talk
 quick question
 money matters
Assonance
Definition:
Assonance is a repetition of the same vowel sounds in a line of a stanza, which
gives the poetic language a delightful sound and enhances its musicality.
Examples:
 And risk it on one turn
 All about you
 Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it
 It is very hard to find eggs on Easter
 Ice- block -cold eyes
Irony
Definition:
Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their meant that
means isn't the same as the real that means of the phrases.
It can also be a scenario that ends up in pretty a different manner than what is commonly
anticipated. In easy words, it's miles a distinction between appearance and reality.
Examples:
 A math teacher cannot solve math problems. ...
 The fashion designer has no sense of fashion. ...
 People who disrespect women are born from them. ...
 The pilot has a height phobia. ...
 A cop gets robbed. 
 The dentist has cavities!
 A man never drives a car because of the fear of an accident and dies in an
earthquake at his home.
Hyperbole
Definition:
The word hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning “excess,” is a figure of speech
that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. It is the
opposite of understatement.
Examples:
 We’re meeting after ages.
 I’ve walked thousand miles to meet you.
 I’ll die without you.
 He talks like a bullet train.
 Your smelly socks can kill a rat.
 It’s so hot here. I feel as if I’m in an oven.
Understatement
Definition:
Understatement is a figure of speech in which something is expressed less strongly
than would be expected.
In other words,
Understatement is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes
a situation seem less important or serious than it is.
Examples:
 Launching a rocket into outer space is not that easy.
 The Universe is a pretty big place.
 Snails don’t rank among the fastest of animals.
 It turns out that climbing Mount Everest is not so easy.
 The ocean has a decent amount of water in it.
 Getting hit by a speeding car might leave a mark.
Oxymoron
Definition:
Oxymoron is a figure of speech pairing two words together that are opposing
and/or contradictory.
In other words,
Oxymoron is a figure of speech that uses two opposing words or contradictory
words to convey a new idea.
Examples:
 The comedian was seriously funny.
 You are clearly confused by the situation you have found yourself in.
 Her singing was enough to raise the living dead.
 Do you have the original copies that we requested?
 This is a genuine imitation Rolex watch.
 His new girlfriend really is pretty ugly.
Apostrophe
Definition:
Apostrophe is used primarily to express strong emotion (like love, hate, fear,
or anger), but it allows the speaker or writer to do so by directly addressing
the subject of their thoughts or feelings, which makes the expression less
abstract.
Examples:
 Love, who needs you?
 Come on, Phone, give me a ring!
 Chocolate, why must you be so delicious?
 Alarm clock, please don’t fail me.
 Seven, you are my lucky number!
 Heaven, help us.
 Sarcasm:

Definition:
Also called verbal irony, Sarcasm is a statement that means the opposite
of what it says. Sarcastic words are often said with a friendly tone but
their meaning is always harsh and meant to mock someone or
something.
Example:
 Go ahead, that is good, smash every plate in the house to show your
anger.
 You can eat the food, after all I have no mouth.
  Really, Sherlock? No! You are clever.
 Litotes
Definition:
This is when you express a positive idea by negating the opposite of that
idea. It is an understatement.
Example:
 She is not looking bad. (MEANING THAT): she is looking good.
 Deborah is not unkind. (MEANING THAT): she is kind.
 “You are not as young as you used to be.”
 “That's not a bad idea.”
 “He is not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
 Onomatopoeia

Definition:
Onomatopoeia are words that resembles the sound of the thing it
describes.
Examples:
 The gun boomed.
 The wind whooshed through the trees.
 The sheep went, “Baa.”
 The large dog said, “Bow-wow!”
 Most cats purr if you pet them behind the ears.
 Metonymy
Definition:
Metonymy is the representation of one thing by something that is closely
associated with it.
Or the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the
thing meant.
Examples:
 O Lord, give us our daily bread. (MEANING: food)
 The bullets (MEANING: soldiers) took over the government of Nigeria
in 1966.
 suit for business executive
 the turf for horse racing.
 Sword - (For military force.)
 Synecdoche
Definition:
This is when you use a part of something to refer to its whole or use a
whole to refer to some of its part.
Example:
 Two heads are better than one. (‘heads’ refer to people).
 Government has ordered a nationwide lockdown. (‘Government’ refers
to The President).
 “He asked for her hand in marriage.”
 “Nice wheels!” — uses “wheels” to designate a whole car
 “America took home gold” — uses America as a larger category to
represent Olympians for the U.S. team.
 Pun
Definition:
A pun is a joke that plays on words that sound alike or have multiple
meanings.
Examples:
 You are better late than be late.
 The religious Shoemaker mends soles and wins souls for Christ.
 I like kids, but I couldn’t eat one.
 A boiled egg for lunch is hard to beat
 Antithesis
Definition:
An antithesis is when you place two contrasting ideas side-by-side.
Examples:
 The ignorant condemns learning, but the learned condemns
ignorance.
 Keep your mouth closed and your eyes open.
 Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice
 Go big or go home.
 Spicy food is heaven on the tongue but hell in the tummy
 Paradox
Definition:
A paradox is a statement that seems stupid at first, but then makes a lot of
sense when you look at it closely.
Example:
 The pen is mightier than the sword.
 The child is father of the man.
 People who can’t trust, can’t be trusted.
  The more you fail, the more likely you are to succeed.
 The only constant is change.
 Epigram
Definition:
 This is a brief and clever statement that looks more like a proverb
because it contains wisdom in it.
Example:
 More haste, less speed.
 In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty.
 There are no gains without pains
 The Child is father of the Man
 I can resist everything but temptation
 Euphemism
Definition:
Euphemisms are nice and pleasant statements used instead of the sad
and unpleasant ones.
Examples:
 The old woman passed away. (MEANING THAT) she died.
 The boy took the first position from the back. (MEANING THAT) he
took the last position.
 “Passed away” instead of “died”
 “Let go” instead of “fired”
 Repetition
Definition:
This is when a word occurs more than once in a write-up.
Examples:
 Out, out brief candle.
 Nightfall: nightfall, you’re my mortal enemy.
 Time after time.
 Heart to heart.
 Boys will be boys.
 Hand in hand.
 Get ready; get set; go.
 Rhetoric question
Definition:
This is a type of question that does not require an answer.
Examples:
 Why am I in this mess?
 When gold rusts, what will iron do?
 'What's in a name?
 Can birds fly?
 Do dogs bark?
 Do Arham and Shahzaib talk all the time?
 Climax
Definition:
This is when you arrange ideas or expressions in such a way that the most
important one is put last.
Examples:
 The flood swept away the man’s slippers, his shoes, bicycle, motorcycle,
car, and his wife.
 I came, I saw, I conquered.
 "If you think that's bad, it gets worse."
 "To infinity, and beyonsd!"
 "Out of the frying pan and into the fire!"
 Anticlimax
Definition:
This is the opposite of climax.
Anticlimax is when you arrange ideas or expressions in such a way that
the most important one comes first while the least important is put
last.
Example:
 The robber was shot, beaten, and later carried away.
 The flood swept away the man’s wife, his car, motorcycle, bicycle, and
slippers.
 The fire burnt Peter's house down and he lost his cell phone.