Figurative Language

  1. Alliteration:
    Repetiton of an initial sound at the beginning of consecutive words
  2. Allusion:
    An indirect reference, often to another text or an historical, mythical, or biblical event.
  3. Analogy:
    An extended comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things.
  4. Anaphora:
    The repetition of words at the beginning of successive clauses.
  5. Anecdote:
    A short account of an interesting event.
  6. Aphorism:
    A short, astute statement of a general truth.
  7. Apostrophe:
    A type of soliloquy where nature is addressed as though human.
  8. Assonance:
    a partial rhyme made by repetition of a vowel sound
  9. Asyndeton:
    deliberate omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, and clauses.
  10. Cacophony:
    Harsh, jarring sound; discord
  11. Colloquialism:
    An informal or conversational use of language.
  12. Consonance:
    Repetition of consonants
  13. Euphemism:
    An indirect expression of unpleasant information in such a way as to lessen its impact.
  14. Euphony:
    A pleasant combination of agreeable sounds.
  15. Hyperbole:
    Exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis.
  16. Imagery:
    Vivid use of language that evokes a reader's senses or rich emotional experiences.
  17. Juxtaposition:
    Placing two things side by side for emphasis.
  18. Malapropism:
    Absurd and therefore humorous misuse of one word for another, especially one similar in sound.
  19. Metaphor:
    A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as if it were something else, thus making an implicit comparison.
  20. Metonymy:
    Use of an aspect of something to represent the whole; referring to an entity by one of its attributes or associations.
  21. Onomatopoeia:
    A literary device in which the sound of a word is related to its meaning.
  22. Oxymoron:
    A figure of speech that juxtaposes two contradictory terms.
  23. Paradox:
    A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.
  24. Personification:
    Assigning lifelike characteristics to inanimate objects.
  25. Polysyndeton:
    The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions.
  26. Rhetorical Question:
    One posed by the author when he or she does not expect an explicit answer but rather wants to prompt consideration of an idea.
  27. Simile:
    A figure of speech that uses 'like' or 'as' to compare two things.
  28. Synecdoche:
    A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to refer to the whole.
  29. Understatement:
    Lack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used for ironic effect.
Author
porge810
ID
84865
Card Set
Figurative Language
Description
Figurative Language
Updated