Figures of Speech

Front

What is a metaphor?

Back

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by stating that one is the other, without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Time is a thief.'

Front

What is personification?

Back

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 simile?

Back

A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

Front

What is hyperbole?

Back

An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect. Example: 'I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.'

Front

What is onomatopoeia?

Back

A figure of speech where a word imitates the sound it represents. Example: 'The bees buzzed.'

Front

What is an oxymoron?

Back

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. Example: 'Deafening silence.'

Front

What is assonance?

Back

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words to create rhythm or emphasis. Example: 'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

Front

What is alliteration?

Back

The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a series of words. Example: 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

Front

What is a paradox?

Back

A statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth. Example: 'Less is more.'

Front

What is imagery?

Back

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images. Example: 'The golden sun set behind the purple mountains.'