Figurative Language Definitions

Front

What is an extreme exaggeration?

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Hyperbole: A figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. Example: 'I’ve told you a million times!'

Front

What is the repetition of the beginning consonant sound within a group of words?

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Alliteration: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'

Front

What is an indirect comparison that typically uses like or as?

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Simile: A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile is like sunshine.'

Front

What gives human traits to something that is not human?

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Personification: A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

Front

What is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance?

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Allusion: A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. Example: 'He’s a real Romeo with the ladies.'

Front

What is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'?

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Metaphor: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things by stating one is the other. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

Front

What is a word that imitates the sound it represents?

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Onomatopoeia: A word that phonetically mimics or resembles the sound of the thing it describes. Example: 'buzz', 'hiss', 'clang'.

Front

What is a common expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning?

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Idiom: A phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning that is different from its literal meaning. Example: 'It’s raining cats and dogs.'

Front

What is a figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis or effect?

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Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally. Example: 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Front

What is a comparison that does not use 'like' or 'as' and suggests that one thing is another?

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Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things. Example: 'The world is a stage.'