List of important Figures of Speech:

What are the figures of speech?

A figure of speech is a deviation from the ordinary use of words in order to increase their
effectiveness.

It is a figurative language that may consist of a single word or phrase. It may be a simile, a
metaphor or personification to convey the meaning other than the literal meaning.

Types of Figures of Speech

The figures of speech list is over a hundred but some commonly used types are given along
with examples.

1. SIMILE

In simile two unlike things are explicitly compared.

For example, “She is like a fairy”. A simile is introduced by words such as like, so, as etc.

As cute as a kitten
 As happy as a clam
 As light as a feather
 As blind as a bat
 As bold as brass
 As bright as a button
 As shiny as a new pin
 As cold as ice
 As common as dirt
 As cool as a cucumber
 As hard as nails
 As hot as hell
 As innocent as a lamb
 As tall as a giraffe
 As tough as nails
 As white as a ghost
 As sweet as sugar
 As black as coal

2. METAPHOR

It is an informal or implied simile in which words like, as, so are omitted.

For example, “He is like a lion (Simile) “and “He is a lion (metaphor)”. In the following
examples, metaphors are underlined.
 She is a star of our family.
 The childhood of the world; the anger of the tempest; the deceitfulness of the
riches: wine is a mocker.
 She is now in the sunset of her days.
 “I’m drowning in a sea of grief.”
Here grief is so overwhelming that the person feels helpless, like they’re being pulled
underwater.
 “She was fishing for compliments.”
The woman isn’t literally casting a lure to hook compliments out of the ocean. Rather,
it’s a dead metaphor used to signify a desire for accolades.
 “Success is a sense of achievement; it is not an illegitimate child.”
This saying reinforces the belief that everyone wants to take credit for success, but no
one wants to take responsibility for their failings.
 “He broke my heart.”
Your heart isn’t literally broken; you’re just feeling hurt and sad.
 “You light up my life.”
Of course, no one can provide physical light. This expression is simply saying that
someone brings them joy.
 “It's raining men.”
Hallelujah! No, men don’t literally pour from the sky. This simply indicates that a lucky
lady has a lot of male suitors.
 “Time is a thief.”
Fortunately, time doesn’t put on a ski mask and lurk around dark corners. This
metaphor illustrates the point that time seems to pass quickly and our lives flash by.
 “He is the apple of my eye.”
There is, of course, no apple in someone’s eye. The apple is someone held dear.
 “She has such a bubbly personality.”
No one’s personality can bubble up like a glass of champagne. This metaphor is used to
signify someone who’s especially cheerful.
 “I’m feeling blue.”
Until we become like the little girl in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, none of us are
likely to turn as blue as a blueberry. This metaphor means someone is sad.
 “I think he’s about to fade off to sleep.”
Fortunately, none of us fade into thin air when we fall asleep. This expression simply
means that someone has drifted into a state of slumber.
 “He really flared up my temper.”
When someone flares up your temper, flames don’t spew out of your body, you’re just
deeply angry.
 “He reeks of infidelity.”
When this is said about a cheating partner, it doesn't mean there’s an actual odor. This
metaphor is saying it’s obvious the person is a liar and a cheat.
 “She’s going through a rollercoaster of emotions.”
Our emotions can’t take a ride on a rollercoaster. This metaphor simply means the
person’s going through a lot of different moods.
 “I feel the stench of failure coming on.”
Failure isn’t fun but it doesn’t smell. So, when this metaphor is used, it means one of
life’s disappointments is on the way.
 “This is the icing on the cake.”
While cake is always welcome, cake with icing is even better. This means something
wonderful has happened on the heels of a happy day.
 “Hope is on the horizon.”
Hope is an intangible thing that doesn’t bob along the horizon. This metaphor indicates
good things are in one’s future.
 “Life contains nothing but clear skies up ahead.”
This metaphor refers to a life devoid of disaster and heartache.
 “His words cut deeper than a knife.”
Words don’t materialize into sharp objects. In this metaphor, someone has said
something hurtful to another.
 “The moonlight sparkled brighter than a gypsy.”
The moonlight didn’t transform into a colorful gypsy. Rather, it lit up the night with
sparkling radiance.

3. PERSONIFICATION

Personification is an attribution of personal nature, intelligence or character to inanimate

objects or abstract notions.

For example, in some phrases we use, the furious storm, the thirsty ground, and the pitiless
cold. Some other examples are:

Little sorrows sit and weep. (Boccaccio)

The dish ran away with the spoon. (Blake)

 My alarm yelled at me this morning.

 I like onions, but they don’t like me.
 The sign on the door insulted my intelligence.
 My phone is not cooperating with me today.
 That bus is driving too fast.
 My computer works very hard.
 However, the mail is running unusually slow this week.
 I wanted to get money, but the ATM died.
 This article says that spinach is good for you.
 Unfortunately, when she stepped on the Lego, her foot cried.
 The sunflowers hung their heads.
 That door jumped in my way.
 The school bell called us from outside.
 In addition, the storm trampled the town.
 I can’t get my calendar to work for me.
 This advertisement speaks to me.
 Fear gripped the patient waiting for a diagnosis.
 The cupboard groans when you open it.
 Can you see that star winking at you?
 Books reach out to kids.
 “The sea was angry that day, my friends – like an old man trying to send back soup
in a deli.” (Seinfeld television series)
 “Life moves pretty fast.” (movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”)
 “The dish ran away with the spoon.” (“Hey, diddle, diddle” by Mother Goose)
 “The Heart wants what it wants – or else it does not care” (Emily Dickinson)
 “Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy.” (“The Giving Tree” by Shel
Silverstein)

4. METONYMY

Metonymy is meant for a change of name. It is a substitute of the thing names for the thing
meant.

Following examples will clarify the concept.

  The pen is mightier than the sword.
 From the cradle to the grave. = from childhood to death.
 I have never read Milton. = the works of Milton.

Examples of Metonymy in Everyday Language and Literature

People use figurative language every day whether they realize it or not. Common
examples of metonymy include in language include:

 Referring to the President of the United States or their administration as “the

White House” or “the Oval Office”
 Referring to the American technology industry as “Silicon Valley”
 Referring to the American advertising industry as “Madison Avenue”
 Referring to the American film industry or celebrity culture as “Hollywood”
 Referring to the New York Stock Exchange as “Wall Street”
 Referring to a member of the British royal family as “the Crown”

5. APOSTROPHE

It is a direct address to some inanimate thing or some abstract idea as if it were living person
or some absent person as if it were present.

For example: “Boy’s mother When we “speak” to something that is inanimate, abstract, or
absent, we are using apostrophes. People may do this internally or by speaking aloud. Here
are some common examples of an apostrophe in everyday speech:

 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!
 Thank you, my guardian angel, for this parking space!
 Heaven, help us.

loved him very much.”

6. HYPERBOLE

Hyperbole is a statement made emphatic by overstatement.

For example,

“Virtues as the sands of the shore.”

I’ve told you to clean your room a million times!

 It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.

 She’s so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.
 I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
 I have a million things to do today.
 When I was young, I had to walk 15 miles to school, uphill, in the snow.
 I had a tonne of homework.
 If I can’t buy that perfect prom dress, I’ll die!
 He’s as skinny as a toothpick.
 The car went faster than the speed of light.
 His new car cost a bazillion dollars.
 We’re so poor we don’t have two cents to rub together.
 That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I was riding a dinosaur.
 They ran like greased lightning.
 He's got tons of money.
 You could have knocked me over with a feather.
 Her brain is the size of a pea.
 My geography teacher is older than the hills.

7. SYNECDOCHE

Synecdoche is the understanding of one thing by means of another. Here, a part is used to
designate the whole or the whole to designate a part.

For example, “I have the Viceroy, love the man.”, and “All hands(crew) at work.”

8. TRANSFERRED EPITHETS

In transferred epithets, the qualifying objective is transferred from a person to a thing as in

phrases.

For example, “sleepless night”, “sunburn mirth”, and “melodious plain”.

9. EUPHEMISM

By using the euphemism, we speak in agreeable and favourable terms of some person,
object or event which is ordinarily considered unpleasant and disagreeable. For example,

 He is telling us a fairy tale. (a lie)

 He has fallen asleep. (he is dead) Passed away instead of died
 Correctional facility instead of jail
 Departed instead of died
 Differently-abled instead of handicapped or disabled
 Fell off the back of a truck instead of stolen
 Ethnic cleansing instead of genocide
 Turn a trick instead of engage in prostitution
 Negative patient outcome instead of dead
 Relocation center instead of prison camp
 Collateral damage instead of accidental deaths
 Letting someone go instead of firing someone
 Put to sleep instead of euthanize
 Pregnancy termination instead of abortion
 On the streets instead of homeless

10. IRONY OR SARCASM

In this mode of speech, the real meanings of the words used are different from the intended
meanings.
For example, the child of cobbler has no shoe.

1. A fire station burns down. This is unexpected because one would assume the fire chief
would keep his own building safe.
2. A marriage counselor files for divorce. This is ironic because the expectation is that a
professional who coaches couples through rough patches would herself have a strong
marriage.
3. The police station gets robbed. Again, the expectation is that professional crime fighters
would be able to help themselves; in this case, by securing their own station.
4. A post on Facebook complaining how useless Facebook is. This is ironic because one
would expect someone who dislikes Facebook to stay away from it instead of using it to
make their point.
5. A traffic cop gets his license suspended because of unpaid parking tickets. Because the
traffic cop is usually the one issuing tickets, most people would assume he always
followed the rules.
6. A pilot has a fear of heights. This situation is ironic because airplane pilots spend most
of their time at work high in the air.
7. A member of PETA wears leather shoes. Because PETA members work to protect animal
rights, one would assume they would avoid products made form animal skins.
8. The teacher fails the test. Teachers are usually the ones giving tests rather than taking
them, so most people assume they would be expert at passing tests.
9. A man who needs medical assistance is run over by the ambulance. In this case, then
man got the exact opposite of what he needed from the medical help on the scene.
10. An anti-technology group sets up a website to recruit new club members. People who
dislike technology aren't likely to be looking for clubs on the internet, so using
technology to recruit is unexpected.
11. Two people want a divorce, but during the proceedings they discover they still love each
other and get back together. This is the opposite outcome of what happens in a typical
divorce, which makes the situation ironic.
12. A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the pool.
This is ironic because the child ends up wetter than he would have been, thwarting his
expectations of what would happen when he ran away from the water balloon.
13. The cobbler's children have no shoes. A cobbler is a professional shoemaker, so the
expectation is that her own children would have many shoes, not zero.
14. The President is wounded when a bullet ricochets off his bulletproof car and into his
arm.This outcome was definitely not what the Secret Service had in mind when they
ordered a secure vehicle.
15. A man leaps out of the road to avoid being hit by a car, only to have a tree branch fall
on his head. This is not the outcome the man expected because he thought he would
escape being hurt.
16. A group of fans enter a stadium excited to see a football game, only to discover that the
sign meant soccer rather than American football. Expectations can also be unmet due to
simple misunderstandings.
17. A Wall Street investor makes fun of others who are afraid of a risky stock pick but later
loses all his money. The investor's expectations were not borne out in his stock
performance, but there's an increased sense of irony because he was so confident.
18. A mother complains about her lazy children, not realizing they have been secretly
making her a birthday present. In this situation, the mother's ideas about her children
are thwarted in an unexpected surprise.
 19. A man works hard for many years to save for retirement; on his last day of work he is
given a lottery ticket worth millions. The unexpected riches are ironic because the man
lived a frugal life assuming he would have to work hard to earn enough to retire.
20. A husband realizes it's his wife's birthday and rushes to make dinner reservations, only
to find that she has forgotten what day it is and stayed at work late. The husband
expected to treat his wife, by the plans end up ruined anyway. It's only the reason why
that's unexpected.
11. PUN

This consists of a play on the various meanings of a word. Its effect is often ludicrous. A pun
is a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar
or identical sounds but with different meanings. Their play on words also relies on a word
or phrase having more than one meaning. Puns are generally intended to be humorous, but
they often have a serious purpose as well in literary works.

For example,

 Is life worth living? It depends upon the liver.

 Obviously, the constitution is against prostitution and congress is against
progress. (con means against and pro means for)
 Some bunny loves you.
 Now that I have graph paper, I guess it’s time to plot something.
 Make like a tree and leave.
 This candy cane is in mint condition.
 My librarian is a great bookkeeper.
 This vacuum sucks.
 I like archery, but it’s hard to see the point.
 It’s easy to like musicians because they are very upbeat.
 If you stand by the window, I’ll help you out.
 The population of Ireland is always Dublin.
 It’s difficult for crabs to share because they are shellfish.
 Hand me that newspaper so we don’t have crosswords.
 The skeleton model in our biology class is a bonehead.
 The wedding cake had me in tiers.
 Next year, I’ll spend more thyme growing herbs.
 Denial is a river in Egypt.
 The cyclist was two tired to win the race.
 Take my wife, please.
 Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
 When my algebra teacher retired, he wasn’t ready for the aftermath.

12. EPIGRAM

It is a brief pointed saying. It couples words which apparently contradict each other. The
language of the epigram is remarkable for its brevity.

Examples:

 The child is the father of the man. (Wordsworth)

 Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
 The art lies in concealing art.
  Silence is sometimes more eloquent than words.
 Conspicuous by its absence.
13. ANTITHESIS

In antithesis, a striking opposition or contrast of words is made in the same sentence in

order to secure emphasis.

For example,

 To err is human, to forgive divine.

 Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.

14. OXYMORON

It is a figure of speech which combines two seemingly contradictory or incongruous words

for sharp emphasis or effect.

For example:

 “darkness visible” (Milton);

 “make haste slowly” (Suetonius)
 “loving hate” (Romeo and Juliet)

open secret larger half clearly confused

act naturally alone together Hell's Angels
found missing liquid gas civil engineer
deafening silence seriously funny living dead
Microsoft Works military intelligence jumbo shrimp
Advanced BASIC tragic comedy unbiased opinion
virtual reality definite maybe original copies
pretty ugly same difference plastic glasses
almost exactly constant variable even odds
minor crisis extinct life genuine imitation
exact estimate only choice freezer burn
free love working holiday rolling stop
15. LITOTES

It is the opposite of hyperbole. Here an affirmative is conveyed by negation of the opposite.

For example,

 He is no dullard.
 I am not a little
 He is not a bad sort.
16. INTERROGATION

This is a rhetorical mode of affirming or denying something more strongly than could be
done in ordinary language.

Examples,

 Who is here so base that would be a bondman?

 Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman?
 Who is here so vile that will not love his country? (Shakespeare)

17. EXCLAMATION

It is used for strong expression of feelings.

For examples:

O lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud I fall upon the thorns of life; I bleed!

18. CLIMAX

It is an arrangement of a series of ideas in the order of increasing importance.

For example, “What a piece of work man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties! In
action, how like an angel!”

19. ANTICLIMAX OR BATHOS

This is the opposite to climax and signifies a ludicrous descent from the higher to the lower.

Example:

 A man so various, that he seemed to be. Not one, but all mankind’s epitome;
who in the course of one revolving moon; was lawyer, statesman, fiddler, and
buffoon.

20. ALLITERATION

The repetition of the same letter or syllable at the beginning of two or more words is called
alliteration.

For example,

 By apt Alliteration’s artful a

 Glittering through the gloomy g
 The furrow follows f
 Becky’s beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy.
 Can you keep the cat from clawing the couch? It’s creating chaos.
 Dan’s dog dove deep in the dam, drinking dirty water as he dove.
 Fred’s friends fried Fritos for Friday’s food.
 Greedy goats gobbled up gooseberries, getting good at grabbing the goodies.
 Hannah’s home has heat now, hopefully.
  Jackrabbits jump and jiggle jauntily.
 Kim’s kid kept kicking like crazy.
 Larry’s lizard likes lounging in the sun.
 Mike made mellow music with his new microphone.
 Nick’s nephew needed some new notebooks.
 Peter’s piglet pranced priggishly.
 Quincy’s quilters quit quilting quickly.
 Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer rose rapidly into the air.
 Seven sisters slept soundly on the sand.
 Tim took tons of tools to make toys for the tots.
 Vivien is very vixen-like and vexing.
 While walking wearily home I wondered where Wally was.
 Yarvis yanked his ankle at yoga, and Yolanda yelled out in surprise.
 Zachary zeroed in on zoo keeping as a career.

21. ONOMATOPOEIA

The formation of a word whose sound is made to suggest or echo the sense as in cuckoo,
bang, growl, hiss.

For example:

 The moan of doves in immemorial elms and murmur of innumerable bees.

 Rend with the tremendous sound your ears asunder with guns, drum, trumpet,
blunderbuss, and thunder.

The sheep went, “Baa.”

 The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
 It is not unusual for a dog to bark when visitors arrive.
 Silence your cellphone so that it does not beep during the movie.
 Dad released a belch from the pit of his stomach.
 The bridge collapsed creating a tremendous boom.
 The large dog said, “Bow-wow!”
 Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?
 My brother can burp the alphabet.
 Both bees and buzzers buzz.
 The cash register popped open with a heart warming ca-ching.
 The bird’s chirp filled the empty night air.
 Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor.
 The clanging pots and pans awoke the baby.
 If you want the red team to win, clap your hands right now!
 The cadets swelled with pride when they heard the clash of the cymbals at their
graduation ceremony.
 The dishes fell to the floor with a clatter.
 Nothing annoys me more than rapidly clicking your pen.
 The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the familiar sound of clinking glasses.
 The horse’s hooves clip-clopped on the cobblestones.
 Those clucking chickens are driving me crazy!
 The dim-witted pigeon repulsed us with its nerve crawling coo.
 If you’re going to cough, please cover your mouth.
 The prisoner was terrified to hear the crack of the whip.
 We roasted marshmallows over the crackling fire.
 The two-year old crashed into the cabinet.
 The cabinet opened with a distinct creak.
 Dissatisfied with her work, Beth crinkled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
 The swamp frogs croaked in unison.
 The teacher heard the distinct crunch of ruffled potato chips.
 Jacob could not sleep with the steady drip-drop of water coming from the sink.
 The root beer fizzed over the top of the mug.
 The flag flapped in wind.
 Did you forget to flush the toilet?
 Daryl gargled the mouthwash.
 The wounded soldier groaned.
 As Tom got closer, the dog began growling.
 Juan had a hard time hearing the teacher over his grumbling stomach.
 When Mom asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
 Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
 The patient sounded like he was hacking up a lung.
 If you have the hiccups, you should try drink a glass of water.
 The snake slithered and hissed.
 If you see anyone coming, honk your horn.
 The wolves howled at the moon.
 The new pencil sharpener hummed efficiently.
 They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
 Someone is knocking on the door.
 That cat will keep meowing until you pet it.
 John was disturbed by the strange moaning.
 The cow aggressively mooed at the passing freight train.
 Janet murmured the answer under her breath.

 While lounging in the slop pile, the pigs oinked excitedly.

 The hail pattered on the tin gutter.
 When he saw the cheese, the mouse could not help but to peep excitedly.
 The lunch lady plopped a scoop of something on Kristen’s tray.
 Billy will cry if you pop his balloon.
 After eating the knight, the dragon let out a puff of smoke.
 Most cats purr if you pet them behind the ears.
 The kind man shared his bread with the quacking ducks.
 My favorite singers have raspy voices.
 Tim would have stepped on the snake had he not heard the rattle of its tail.
 The race-car driver revved his engine.
 Our peaceful dinner ended when the phone began ringing.
 I secretly ripped up the birthday checks that my grandmother sent me.
 The lion’s mighty roar could be heard across the Savannah.
 The earthquake rumbled the foundations of our house.
 When the wind blew the leaves rustled.
 He took off so quickly that his tires screeched.
 When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a woman.
 I love the sound of bacon sizzling on a weekend.
 You could hear the slap echo across the valley.
 The thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
 The young girl smacked her lips and spoke rudely.
 Frank smashed the can on his head.
 After making a rude remark, Jade snapped her fingers and rolled her neck.
 Having never left the city, Juan eagerly sniffed the country air.
 Tommy made me laugh so hard in the lunchroom that I snorted milk out of my nose.
 The paintball splattered against the windshield.
 Fat Pat did a cannonball in the pool and made a big splash.
 Mr. Morton told the student to spit out his gum.
 Angie sprayed her neighbour with the hose.
 Mark tried sneaking in the house but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
 Jenna ran around the lunchroom squealing like a pig.
 When he sat down, the young boy squished the unfortunate critter in his pocket.
 The musician used a coin to strum the guitar.
 Shaun loved the swish of the basketball net.
 Mitchel gently tapped the ball into the hole.
 Time just keeps on ticking.
 Bobby threw his books down with a thud.
 That thump made us jump.
 If you see him, toot your horn.
 The rain trickled down the gutter.
 Birds tweeted long before Twitter did.
 The lawyer chased after the wail of the sirens.
 The bullet whizzed by his ear.
 Bob’s big dogs woofed at the unfortunate mail main.
 Beth’s little dog would not stop yapping.
 Spaceman Spiff zapped the alien with his ray-gun.
 Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag.
 The race car zoomed past the finish line

22. CIRCUMLOCUTION

This consists of expressing some fact or idea in a roundabout way, instead of stating it at
once.

For example,

 The viewless couriers of the air. =(the wind)

 That statement of his was purely an effort of imagination. = (a fiction)

23. TAUTOLOGY OR PLEONASM

Tautology is meant for repeating the same fact or idea in different words.

For example, “It is the privilege and birthright of every man to express his ideas without any
fear.”

24. PARADOX

It is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's

expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises,
leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion. A paradox is a
statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but may in reality
express a truth or tension.
William Wordsworth offers an example of paradox in his poem My Heart Leaps Up with
the line “the Child is the father of the Man.” This expression defies common sense on a
literal level, but expresses a deeper truth that our dominant character traits are formed
when we are young, and they continue to shape our experiences as adults. Paradox comes
from the Greek word parádoxos, which means “beyond belief.”

For example:

 You can save money by spending it.

 I know one thing; that I know nothing.
 This is the beginning of the end.
 Deep down, you're really shallow.
 I'm a compulsive liar.
 “Men work together whether they work together or apart.” - Robert Frost
 "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." - George Bernard Shaw
 "I can resist anything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde

25. Allegory

It is a story in which the characters or developments symbolize real people or events.

For example:
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an example of an allegory; on the surface it’s about a
group of animals that overthrow their human masters to establish a more egalitarian
society only to watch it devolve into tyranny, but below the surface it’s about Russia’s
Bolshevik revolution and the corrupting nature of power.

26. SATIRE

It is a slippery concept that can sometimes be deeply embedded in a work’s themes or

narrative, and sometimes closer to the surface in the actions or behaviour of characters.
Simply put, satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule in exposing, denouncing, or
deriding vice or folly.

Example:

Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels is an example of satirical fiction. Written in
the style of travel writing of its day, Gulliver’s Travels also provides an example of parody,
defined as “a humorous imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.”