Figures of Speech – Definition, Types and Usage with Examples

Are you as active as a bee? Why not take some time out of your hectic schedule to learn how to make your speech and writing sound and look exceptional and engaging?

There are numerous methods for making your language creative and interesting. Using figurative language is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this.

This article will explain what figures of speech are, their meaning and definition, the various types of figures of speech, and how to use them effectively in sentences with examples.

What Is a Figure of Speech?

A figure of speech is an expression used to impress your reader or listener. Making comparisons, contrasts, associations, exaggerations, and constructions are all part of it. It also paints a much clearer picture of what you’re attempting to communicate.

Let’s look at how different dictionaries define a figure of speech to get a better understanding of what it is.

Figure of Speech Definition

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a figure of speech is “a word or phrase used differently from its usual meaning to create a particular mental picture or effect.”

A figure of speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “an expression that uses words to mean something other than their ordinary meaning.”

A figure of speech, according to the Collins Dictionary, is “an expression or word used with a metaphorical rather than a literal meaning.”

A figure of speech is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a type of expression (such as a simile or metaphor) used to convey meaning or heighten the effect, frequently by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to the reader or listener.”

A figure of speech is defined as “an expression in which the words are used figuratively, rather than in their normal literal meaning” by the Macmillan Dictionary.

There are approximately fifteen to twenty figures of speech in English grammar. However, a few of them are used more frequently than others. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used figures of speech.

Examples of Figures of Speech

Here are a few examples of the different figures of speech in English grammar.

• Simile – Rachel is as bright as the sun.
• Metaphor – The whole world is a stage.
• Personification – The wind whispered in my ears.
• Apostrophe – O William, you should be living now to see all this.
• Alliteration – Sally sold some seashells.
• Assonance – I seem to like your little green trees.
• Hyperbole – I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
• Oxymoron – Euthanizing their sick pet dog was considered an act of kind cruelty.
• Epigram – The child is the father of the man.
• Irony – A fire station burned down yesterday.
• Pun – Life depends upon the liver.
• Metonymy – The Bench decided that the man is guilty.
• Synecdoche – We need more hands to help us move this cupboard.
• Transferred Epithet – She had a sleepless night.

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