A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning other than the
literal meaning. It can be a metaphor or simile that's designed to
further explain a concept. Or it can be the repetition of alliteration or
exaggeration of hyperbole to give further emphasis or effect. There are many different
types of figures of speech in the English language. We will give you examples
of some of the most commonly used types here.
Examples of Figures of Speech
Using Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring
words. Examples are:
·
She sells seashells.
·
Walter wondered where
Winnie was.
·
Blue baby bonnets
·
Nick needed new
notebooks.
·
Fred fried frogs.
Using Anaphora
Anaphora is a technique
where several phrases (or verses in a poem) begin with the same word or words.
Examples are:
·
I came, I saw, I conquered
- Julius Caesar
·
Mad world! Mad kings!
Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare
·
It was the best of
times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness - A Tale of Two
Cities, Charles Dickens
·
With malice toward none;
with charity for all; with firmness in the right - Abraham Lincoln
·
We shall not flag or
fail. We shall go on to the end... we shall never surrender - Winston Churchill
Using Assonance
Assonance is the repetition
of vowel sounds in words that are close together. Examples are:
·
A - For the rare and
radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore (Poe)
·
E - Therefore all
seasons shall be sweet to thee (Coleridge)
·
I - From what I’ve
tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire (Frost)
·
O - Or hear old Triton
blow his wreathed horn (Wordsworth)
·
U - Uncertain rustling
of each purple curtain (Poe)
Using a Euphemism
Euphemism is a mild, indirect,
or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Examples are:
·
'A little thin on top'
instead of 'going bald'
·
'Homeless' instead of
'bum'
·
'Letting him go' instead
of 'firing him'
·
'Passed away' instead of
'died'
·
'Economical with the
truth' instead of 'liar'
Using Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration
for emphasis or effect. Examples are:
·
I’ve told you a hundred
times
·
It cost a billion
dollars
·
I could do this forever
·
She is older than dirt
·
Everybody knows that
Using Irony
Irony is when there is a
contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between apearance and
reality. Examples are:
·
“How nice!” she said,
when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
·
A traffic cop gets
suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony)
·
The Titanic was said to
be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)
·
Naming a Chihuahua
Brutus (Verbal irony)
·
The audience knows the
killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie but the actors do not. (Dramatic
irony)
Using Metaphor
Metaphor compares two
unlike things or ideas. Examples are:
·
Heart of stone
·
Time is money
·
The world is a stage
·
She is a night owl
·
He is an ogre
Using Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is
a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples are:
·
Whoosh
·
Splat
·
Buzz
·
Click
·
Oink
Using Oxymoron
Oxymoron is two
contradictory terms used together. Examples are:
·
Peace force
·
Kosher ham
·
Jumbo shrimp
·
Small crowd
·
Free market
Using Personification
Personification is
giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples are:
·
The flowers nodded
·
Snowflakes danced
·
Thunder grumbled
·
Fog crept in
·
The wind howled
Using Simile
Simile is a comparison
between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."
Examples are:
·
As slippery as an eel
·
Like peas in a pod
·
As blind as a bat
·
Eats like a pig
·
As wise as an owl
Using Synecdoche
Synecdoche is
when a part represents the whole or the whole is represented by a part.
Examples are:
·
Wheels - a car
·
The police - one
policeman
·
Plastic - credit cards
·
Coke - any cola drink
·
Army - a soldier
Using Understatement
Understatement is
when something is said to make something appear less important or less serious.
Examples are:
·
It's just a scratch -
referring to a large dent
·
It's a litttle dry and
sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world
·
The weather is a little
cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures
·
It was interesting -
referring to a bad or difficult experience
·
It stings a bit -
referring to a serious wound or injury
These examples of figures of speech were
selected to show a variety of stylistic and rhetorical devices that make
the English language more creative, more expressive, and more interesting.
·
Source : http://examples.yourdictionary.com/figure-of-speech-examples.html#l7qO6H7KZtTtlZx1.99
