simile: A comparison using like or as: fast as lightning
metaphor: A comparison saying one thing is another: time is a thief
personification: Giving human traits to non-human things: the wind whispered
hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration: I have a million things to do
idiom: A phrase with a meaning different from its words: break the ice
onomatopoeia: A word that sounds like its meaning: buzz, boom
alliteration: Repeating a starting consonant sound: Peter Piper picked
assonance: Repeating vowel sounds inside words: the rain in Spain
consonance: Repeating consonant sounds inside or at the end: pitter-patter
imagery: Words that appeal to the senses: the sweet smell of bread
symbolism: Using an object to stand for an idea: a dove for peace
irony: When the opposite of what you expect happens or is said
verbal irony: Saying the opposite of what you mean: Lovely weather! (in a storm)
situational irony: When the outcome is the reverse of what was expected
dramatic irony: When the audience knows something the characters do not
oxymoron: Two opposite words together: deafening silence
paradox: A statement that seems false but contains truth: less is more
allusion: A reference to a well-known person, event or work
pun: A joke using a word with two meanings or similar sounds
understatement: Making something seem less important than it is
euphemism: A gentle word for something unpleasant: passed away
cliché: An overused phrase: only time will tell
foreshadowing: Hints about what will happen later
flashback: A scene that goes back to an earlier time
analogy: A comparison to explain or clarify an idea
anaphora: Repeating words at the start of lines or sentences
apostrophe: Speaking to someone absent or a thing: O Death, be not proud
juxtaposition: Placing two things side by side for contrast
metonymy: Naming something by something linked to it: the crown for the king
synecdoche: A part standing for the whole: all hands on deck
tone: The writer's attitude toward the subject
mood: The feeling a reader gets from a text
repetition: Using the same word or phrase for emphasis
hyperbaton: Changing normal word order for effect
antithesis: Putting opposite ideas in balanced phrases: to err is human; to forgive, divine
chiasmus: Reversing the order of words in two phrases: ask not what your country can do for you
rhetorical question: A question asked for effect, not for an answer
sarcasm: Saying the opposite of what you mean to mock or tease
satire: Using humor to point out foolishness in society
parody: A funny imitation of a work
colloquialism: Informal everyday language
dialect: A way of speaking particular to a region or group
connotation: The feelings a word suggests beyond its dictionary meaning
denotation: The dictionary meaning of a word
literal language: Words that mean exactly what they say
figurative language: Words used in a way that goes beyond the literal meaning
mixed metaphor: Combining two metaphors in a confusing way
extended metaphor: A metaphor carried through many lines

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/la-figurative-language