Figurative Language

a figure of speech in which something nonhuman is given human qualities; a person or thing that perfectly represents an idea or quality

• Metaphor
• Idiom
• Hyperbole
• Personification

the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words

• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Simile
• Allusion

an indirect reference; a passing mention

• Idiom
• Euphemism
• Allusion
• Personification

a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using like or as

• Understatement
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Cliche

the use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning

• Symbol
• Foreshadowing
• Onomatopoeia
• Euphemism

an object that represents an idea

• Oxymoron
• Foreshadowing
• Metaphor
• Symbol

the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt

• Understatement
• Allusion
• Euphemism
• Idiom

extreme exaggeration used to make a point

• Hyperbole
• Understatement
• Alliteration
• Cliche

a statement that is weakened in order to convey a stronger meaning

• Allusion
• Understatement
• Idiom
• Euphemism

the author’s use of clues to hint at what will happen later in the story

• Foreshadowing
• Cliche
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration