Figures of Speech

FIGURES OF SPEECH
METONYMY
Metonymy is meant for a change of name. It is a substitute of the thing names for the thing
meant.
Examples:
When I met him at the reception when he took me for a spin during a slow song. (Spin is
metonymy for dance)
Joe’s new ride was expensive. (Ride is metonymy for car)
When I came to visit, my friend offered me a cup. (Cup is metonymy for a beverage such as tea or
coffee)
I wish he would keep his nose out of the plans. (Nose is metonymy for interest or attention)
During illness, fluids are often essential for recovery. (Fluids is metonymy for hydrating substances)
APOSTROPHE
It is a direct address to some inanimate thing or some abstract idea as if it were living person or
some absent person as if it were present.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. (Jane Taylor)
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I
wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you
would not have it!
“O stranger of the future!
O inconceivable being!
Whatever the shape of your house,
However you scoot from place to place,
SYNECDOCHE
Synecdoche is the understanding of one thing by means of another. Here, a part is used to designate the whole
or the whole to designate a part.
The White House (signifies the U.S. president or executive branch)

Wearing heels (signifies high-heeled shoes)
Green thumb (signifies person who is good at gardening)
Suits (signifies people in business)
Wheels (signifies a vehicle)
"Can I buy you a glass?" refers not to the glass itself; it is a synecdoche in which "glass" refers to the drink inside it.
"Nice wheels!"
EPITHET
An epithet is a nickname or descriptive term that’s added to someone’s name that becomes
part of common usage.
Alexander the Great

Man’s best friend
Elvis Presley was given the epithet “The King of Rock and Roll” or simply “The King.”
EUPHEMISM
By using the euphemism, we speak in agreeable and favorable terms of some person, object
or event which is ordinarily considered unpleasant and disagreeable.
Passed away instead of died.
Dearly departed instead of died.
Ethnic cleansing instead of genocide.
Negative patient outcome instead of died.
Collateral damage instead of accidental deaths.
IRONY OR SARCASM
In this mode of speech, the real meanings of the words used are different from the intended
meanings. Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a
reality that is different from what appears to be true.
You are too early for tomorrow.

Your father will surely like your report card, all in red!
Tom, you are a great guy! (meant bitterly)
EPIGRAM
Any terse, witty statement.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

Tomorrow began yesterday.
A journey of a thousand mile begins with a single step.
ANADIPLOSIS
- Repetition of the end of a line or clause at the next beginning.
For I have loved long, I crave reward.

Reward me not unkindly: think on kindness.
Kindness becommeth those of high regard.
Regard with clemency a poor man's blindness.
EPANALEPSIS
Repetition of the beginning at the end.

Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answered blows. Strength
matched with strength, and power confronted power.
ALLUSION
A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It
does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects
the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.
I didn’t have any bus fare, but fortunately some good Samaritan helped me out!
“Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet, in
“Romeo and Juliet”.
The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s box of crimes. – This is an allusion to one of Greek Mythology’s origin myth,
“Pandora’s box”.
“This place is like a Garden of Eden.” – This is a biblical allusion to the “garden of God” in the Book of Genesis.
“Hey! Guess who the new Newton of our school is?” – “Newton”, means a genius student, alludes to a famous scientist
Isaac Newton.
RHETORICAL QUESTION
A question which the author does not expect a spoken answer but eagerly hopes for a mental
one.
What has life to offer me when I grow old?

What will a man gain if he wins the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul?
CHIASMUS
comes from a Greek word meaning “crossed,” and it refers to a grammatical structure that
inverts a previous phrase. That is, you say one thing, and then you say something very similar,
but flipped around.
Live simply so that others might simply live. (Gandhi)
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” (John F.
Kennedy, 1961)
We fashion our environment; and our environment fashions us.
ANAPHORA
Repetition of a word at the beginning of a clause, line, or sentence .
Mad world! Mad kings! Mad reputation!

Teardrops fall from her eyes. Teardrops that carry the son of the Lord’s sacrifice!
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light,
it was the season of Darkness..”
EPISTROPHE
It is derived from a Greek word that means “turning upon,” which indicates the same word
returns at the end of each sentence. Epistrophe is a stylistic device that can be defined as
the repetition of phrases or words at the ends of the clauses or sentences. It is also called
“epiphora.”
When everybody goes to the meeting

The rebel stays at home and reads a book.
When everybody stays at home and reads a book,
The rebel goes to the meeting.
When everybody says, yes please!
The rebel says, No thank you.
When everybody says: No thank you,
The rebel says, yes please!
ANTITHESIS
It is a figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel
grammatical structures. For instance, Neil Armstrong used antithesis when he stepped onto the
surface of the moon in 1969 and said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.“
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was
the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before
us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
He came too late but departed too soon.
The rich have so much that they are thankful for nothing; the poor have so little that they are thankful
for everything.
Money is a good servant but a poor master.
CLIMAX
Climax is a figure of speech in which successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are
arranged in ascending order of importance.
Let a man acknowledge his obligations to himself, his family, his country, and his God.
Since concord was lost, friendship was lost; fidelity was lost; liberty was lost—all was lost.
If you think that's bad, it gets worse."
ANTICLIMAX
It refers to a figure of speech in which statements gradually descend in order of importance.
Unlike climax, anticlimax is the arrangement of a series of words, phrases, or clauses in order
of decreasing importance.
She is a great writer, a mother and a good humorist.

He lost his family, his car and his cell phone.
EPIZEUXIS
Repetition of words with no other words between.
Reputation! Reputation! Reputation! Oh I have lost my reputation.

Love, love, love has come my way.
LITOTES
It features a phrase that utilizes negative wording or terms to express a positive assertion or statement. In
this case, juxtaposing the negative words “don’t” and “hate” function together to indicate the opposite
meaning or affirmative. In saying “I don’t hate it,” the speaker is actually affirming the sentiment “I like it.”
The novel is not bad.

You’re not wrong.
I can’t disagree with your logic.
My feelings are not unhurt.
He is hardly unattractive.
That lesson is not hard.
My car was not cheap.
ANTHIMERIA
Anthimeria has originated from the Greek word anti-meros, which means “one part for another.”
It is the usage of a word in a new grammatical form, most often the usage of a noun as a verb.
I could have a good sleep.

Don’t forget to hashtag that post.
“Let me not suppose that she dares go about, Emma Woodhouse-ing me!”
TAUTOLOGY
Tautology is the repetitive use of phrases or words that have similar meanings. In simple words,
it is expressing the same thing, an idea, or saying, two or more times. The word tautology is
derived from the Greek word tauto, meaning “the same,” and Logos, meaning “a word or an
idea.” A grammatical tautology refers to an idea repeated within a phrase, paragraph, or
sentence to give an impression that the writer is providing extra information.
“Repeat that again,” and “reiterate again.“

“It’s deja vu all over again.”
“Smoking can kill you, and if you’ve been killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.”

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FIGURES OF SPEECH

The White House (signifies the U.S. president or executive branch)

Alexander the Great

You are too early for tomorrow.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

For I have loved long, I crave reward.

What has life to offer me when I grow old?

Mad world! Mad kings! Mad reputation!

When everybody goes to the meeting

She is a great writer, a mother and a good humorist.

Reputation! Reputation! Reputation! Oh I have lost my reputation.

The novel is not bad.

I could have a good sleep.

“Repeat that again,” and “reiterate again.“

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