Figures of Speech

an obvious exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally

• Hyperbole

• Oxymoron

• Onomatopoeia

• Paradox

a joining of two seemingly contradictory terms

• Oxymoron

• Euphemism

• Paradox

• Hyperbole

a statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth

• Paradox

• Onomatopoeia

• Euphemism

• Oxymoron

a polite or indirect expression that is used to de-emphasize an unpleasant topic

• Euphemism

• Oxymoron

• Paradox

• Hyperbole

a comparison using like or as

• metaphor

• simile

• idiom

• irony

use of words to express the opposite of the literal meaning

• metaphor

• simile

• idiom

• irony