What Are Figures of Speech

What are Figures of Speech?
It is an integral part of any language, which is used extensively not only in our day-to-day speech
but also in written texts and oral literature. These are words or phrases used in a distinctive way
to produce a rhetorical effect.
To say it in very simple terms, it is a phrase whose actual meaning is different from its literal
meaning.
Figures of Speech are developed and expressed through a variety of different rhetorical
techniques. All of us use different figures of speech in our daily conversations, both deliberately
and subconsciously.
Importance of Figures of Speech
It enhances your writing and content. For example, metaphors add important details that make
the writing more relatable to the readers. Idioms help to express complex ideas in a short space.
It makes the content presentable and more enjoyable to the writers. Most of the time, you may
use these words as a sarcastic response or just to demonstrate your command of the language.
There is a wide range of different types of figures of speech that are used in our daily
communication. Let us take a look at some of the most popular ones that are used extensively:
Personification
Personification attributes human nature or human qualities to abstract or inanimate objects. For
example, we often use the phrases like the howling wind, dancing leaves, time flies etc. Some
examples of personification in a sentence are:
 The opportunity knocked at his door

 The plants in her house silently begged to be watered
 Lightning danced across the sky
 The wind howled in the night.
Metaphor
A metaphor is used for implying a comparison between two things that have something in
common but are in general different from each other. Some examples of the usage of metaphors
in a sentence is as follows:
 It is raining cats and dogs

 He is the star of our class
 Life is a highway.
 Her eyes were diamonds.
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different from each other but
have similar qualities. These are generally formed through the usage of the words ‘as’ or ‘like’.
Some examples of similes in a sentence include:
 He is as brave as a lion
 Her expression was as cold as ice
 Swim like a fish
 As light as a feather
Alliteration
Alliteration is a sentence that consists of a series of words that have the same consonant sound at
the beginning. Some popular examples of alliteration in a sentence include:
 She sells sea shells on the seashore

 A good cook could cook as many cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies
 All Adam ate in August was apples and almonds
 Barry bought a book to bring to the backyard barbecue
Onomatopoeia
This is a figure of speech that is used to express a sound. To be more precise, it involves the use
of words that imitate the sounds associated with the action or object referred to i.e. hiss, clap etc.
Some examples of onomatopoeia include:
 The buzzing bee flew over my head

 The stone hit the water with a splash
 The boulder hit the ground with a flump.
 Leaves rustle in the wind and are whipped into the air.
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is a figure of speech that consists of an exaggeration. It is the usage of exaggerated
terms in order to emphasize or heighten the effect of something. Some examples of using
hyperboles in a sentence include:
 I have told you a million times to not touch my stuff!

 She has got a pea-sized brain
 I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
 She’s as old as the hills.
Euphemism
Euphemism is the usage of a mild word in substitution of something that is more explicit or
harsh when referring to something unfavorable or unpleasant. Some examples of its usage
include:
 This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people

 He passed away in his sleep
 Passed away” instead of “died”
 “Let go” instead of “fired”
Irony
Irony or sarcasm is a figure of speech in which the usage of words conveys the opposite of their
literal meaning. These are often used in a humorous manner. Some examples of irony include:
 Your hands are as clean as mud

 The dinner you served was as hot as ice
 Coming home to a big mess and saying, “it’s great to be back”
 Telling a rude customer to “have a nice day”
Anaphora
It is a repetition of a word or phrase at the start of several sentences of clauses. Some of the
examples of anaphora are as follows:
 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” Speech

 Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities
 “Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.”
 “Get busy living or get busy dying.”
Apostrophe
It addresses a subject that is not present in the work. In this case, the object is absent or
inanimate. Here are some examples of apostrophes.
 Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are

 Welcome, O life!
 Alarm clock, please don’t fail me.
 Seven, you are my lucky number!
Pun
Puns are among the most frequently used figures of speech in daily conversation. They may be
great conversation starters since they make you sound clever and occasionally even humorous.
Here are a few instances of puns in speech:
 Denial is a river in Egypt (referring to The Nile using the word Denial).
 Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
 No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
 Everyone thinks my runny nose is funny, but it’s snot.
Paradox
These figures of speech, like ironies, emphasize something by discussing the exact opposite of it.
A paradox, on the other hand, differs from irony in that it does not make the contrast as evident.
Let’s examine two instances of paradoxical figures of speech:
 “Some of my biggest triumphs have also been failures,” (According to US actress Pearl
Bailey)
 “War is good. Slavery is freedom. “Ignorance is power,” (As said by English author
George Orwell)
 Save money by spending it
 If I know one thing, it’s that I know nothing
Oxymoron
This figure of speech, which should not be confused with ironies and paradoxes, links two
opposing ideas at once. This indicates that two opposing concepts are utilized inside a single
sentence to create levity in an oxymoron figure of speech. For instance,
 This is another fine mess you have got us into

 Suddenly the room filled with a deafening silence
 The comedian was seriously funny
 You are clearly confused by the situation you have found yourself in
Assonance
Internal vowels in nearby words that are the same or comparable in sound. Here are a few
examples of assonance in speech:
 How now, brown cow?

 The light of the fire is a sight
 Go slow over the road
 Try as I might, the kite did not fly
Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech when one term or phrase is used in place of another with which
it is closely related. It is also a rhetorical technique used to describe something indirectly by
making references to objects around it. Here are a few instances of Metonym:
 “That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman,” the manager said
angrily.
 The pen is mightier than the sword”
 I’m a Silicon Valley guy. I just think people from Silicon Valley can do anything.
 Most of the successful people in Hollywood are failures as human beings.
The Figure of Speech Usage: Points to Remember
Figure of speeches do not convey the literal meaning, hence, it is very important to know how to
use the figure of speech. The most significant way of doing this is by making sure that the figure
of speech that you are using implies, or gives out the desired effect and feeling. There are
different ways and points you can remember to easily do this. Some of them are as follows.
Classifying of Figures of Speech

Figures of speech can be categorized into categories that are based on their functions when they
are used in sentences. The main categories from these are as follows:
1. Those figures of speech that show phonetic resemblances and represent sounds. Similes,
personification, metaphors, metonymy, euphemism, and synecdoche are the figures of
speech used for this purpose.
2. Those figures of speech that show a relationship or resemblance. This kind of speech is
used to create a similar effect by using similar-sounding words
3. Those figures of speech that shows emphasis or unimportance. This kind of speeches
provide emphasis showing the level of importance or unimportance. Hyperbole,
oxymoron, antithesis, and irony are the figures of speech used for this purpose.

What Are Figures of Speech

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What are Figures of Speech?

Importance of Figures of Speech

 The opportunity knocked at his door

 It is raining cats and dogs

 She sells sea shells on the seashore

 The buzzing bee flew over my head

 I have told you a million times to not touch my stuff!

 This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people

 Your hands are as clean as mud

 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” Speech

 Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are

 This is another fine mess you have got us into

 How now, brown cow?

The Figure of Speech Usage: Points to Remember

Classifying of Figures of Speech

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