Figurative Language Definitions

Front

What is an extreme exaggeration?

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.5A

Front

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

Back

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.'

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Front

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

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Front

What gives human traits to something that is not human?

Back

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.'

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Front

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

Back

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.'

Tags

CCSS.L.7.5A

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Front

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

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Front

What is a word that imitates the sound it represents?

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

Front

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

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.3.5A

CCSS.RL.3.4

Front

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

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.5A

Front

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

Back

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

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D