Figurative Language Definitions & Examples Review

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What is irony?

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The opposite of what one expects is stated or occurs.

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What is imagery?

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The use of language to create sensory impressions for the reader, usually trying to elicit all 5 senses.

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What is an idiom?

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A phrase that means something very different from the literal meaning. Example: 'up the creek without a paddle' means being in the middle of a problem.

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What is assonance?

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The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: 'Who knows why the cold wind blows...'

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What is alliteration?

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Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words. Example: 'Wild wooly walruses wait and wonder when we'll walk by.'

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What is a pun?

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A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similarity in sound for humorous or rhetorical effect.

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What is a metaphor?

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by stating one is the other.

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What is a simile?

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A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

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What is hyperbole?

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An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect.

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What is literal language?

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Language that means exactly what it says, without any figurative meaning.