Figurative Language Definitions

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What is figurative language?

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Figurative language uses figures of speech to build meaning beyond the literal.

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What is an idiom?

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An idiom is an expression that means something more than the literal definition, e.g., 'If you don’t zip your lips, I will zip them for you!'.

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a direct comparison between two objects or concepts, e.g., 'Her long hair was a flowing golden river.'

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What is imagery?

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Imagery is the use of language that engages the 5 senses: Hearing, Sight, Taste, Smell, and Touch, e.g., 'The scruffy black cat’s back arches and hair stands straight up...'

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What is personification?

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Personification gives human traits to something that is not human, e.g., 'My alarm clock yells at me every morning to get out of bed!'.

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a comparison between two different things using 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'Her smile was like sunshine.'

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What is hyperbole?

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

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words, e.g., 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

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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 literature, e.g., '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 effect, e.g., 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.'