Figurative Language Definitions

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by stating that one thing is another. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning consonant sound in a group of words. Example: 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

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What is personification?

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Personification is a figure of speech in which human traits are given to non-human things. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

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What is imagery?

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Imagery is the use of descriptive language that engages the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Example: 'The golden sun set behind the purple mountains.'

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as.' Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

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What is onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the natural sound of a thing. Example: 'The bees buzzed around the garden.'

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What is an idiom?

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

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What is hyperbole?

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

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What is an allusion?

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An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art. Example: 'He has the Midas touch.'

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What is a pun?

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A pun is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect. Example: 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.'