Meaning and Types of Figures of Speech (with Examples and Sentences)

WHAT IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH? 

A Figure of Speech is a word or phrase used in a non-literal way to make language more interesting, imaginative, and expressive. In other words, it is a creative way of saying something that is not meant to be taken literally.

Example: The world is a stage.

(Here, the world is compared to a stage — it’s not literally a stage, but it expresses that life is like a drama.)

 

MAIN TYPES OF FIGURES OF SPEECH 

1. Simile

A Simile compares two things using the words “like” or “as.”

Examples:

A. She is as brave as a lion.

B. The baby sleeps like an angel.

 

2. Metaphor

A Metaphor directly compares two things without using “like” or “as.”

Examples:

A. The classroom was a zoo.

B. Time is a thief.

 

3. Personification

Personification gives human qualities to non-living things or animals.

Examples:

A. The sun smiled at us.

B. The wind whispered through the trees.

 

4. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or humor.

Examples:

A. I’ve told you a million times!

B. He runs faster than the wind.

 

5. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate sounds.

Examples:

A. The bees buzzed in the garden.

B. The door creaked open slowly.

 

6. Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.

Examples:

A. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

B. She sells seashells by the seashore.

 

7. Irony

Irony means saying the opposite of what you really mean, often for humor or sarcasm.

Examples:

A. A fire station burns down.

B. “Oh, great!” (when something bad happens)

 

8. Oxymoron

Oxymoron puts two opposite words side by side.

Examples:

A. Bittersweet memory

B. Deafening silence

 

9. Pun

A Pun is a play on words — it uses a word that has two meanings for humor.

Examples:

A. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

B. A bicycle can’t stand on its own — it’s two-tired!

 

10. Apostrophe

Apostrophe is when the speaker talks to someone or something that isn’t present or can’t respond.

Examples:

A. O Death! where is thy sting?

B. O Moon! Shine on my lonely path.

 

11. Metonymy

Metonymy replaces the name of something with a word closely related to it.

Examples:

A. The White House announced a new policy.

B. The crown will decide. (“Crown” refers to a king or queen.)

 

12. Synecdoche

Synecdoche uses a part to represent the whole or vice versa.

Examples:

A. All hands on deck! (hands = sailors)

B. Nigeria won gold (Nigeria = Nigerian team).

 

13. Euphemism

Euphemism is a polite or mild expression used instead of a harsh one.

Examples:

A. He passed away. (instead of “died”)

B. She is between jobs. (instead of “unemployed”)

 

 

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14. Paradox

A Paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

Examples:

A. The more you learn, the less you know.

B. I am nobody.

 

15. Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of words at the beginning of successive lines or sentences.

Examples:

A. Every day, every night, every moment — I think of you.

B. I have a dream, said Martin Luther King.

 

16. Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Examples:

A. The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

B. The early bird catches the worm.

 

17. Rhetorical Question

A Rhetorical Question is a question asked for effect, not for an answer.

Examples:

A. Who doesn’t love freedom?

B. Isn’t life beautiful?

 

18. Litotes

Litotes expresses something by denying its opposite.

Examples:

A. She’s not bad looking.

B. It’s not uncommon to see rain here.

 

19. Climax

Climax is arranging ideas in increasing order of importance.

Examples:

A. He came, he saw, he conquered.

B. I laughed, I cried, I learned.

 

20. Anticlimax

Anticlimax is arranging ideas in decreasing order of importance (often used for humor).

Examples:

A. He lost his family, his car, and his pen.

B. For God, for country, and for fun!

 

SUMMARY 

Figure of Speech	Meaning	Example
Simile	Comparison using “like” or “as”	She is as fast as lightning.
Metaphor	Direct comparison	The world is a stage.
Personification	Giving human qualities to objects	The flowers danced in the wind.
Hyperbole	Exaggeration	I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
Onomatopoeia	Sound words	The snake hissed.
Alliteration	Repetition of consonant sounds	Sweet smell of success.
Irony	Opposite meaning	The lifeguard drowned.
Oxymoron	Opposite words together	Sweet sorrow.
Pun	Play on words	A boiled egg is hard to beat.
Apostrophe	Addressing something absent	O Love, where are you?
Metonymy	Related name	The pen is mightier than the sword.
Synecdoche	Part for whole	All hands on deck.
Euphemism	Polite expression	He passed away.
Paradox	Contradictory truth	Less is more.
Anaphora	Repetition at start	We shall fight, we shall win.
Assonance	Repeated vowel sounds	Try to light the fire.
Rhetorical Question	Asked for effect	Who doesn’t want success?
Litotes	Understatement	Not bad at all.
Climax	Increasing importance	Live, fight, die for freedom.
Anticlimax	Decreasing importance	He lost his family, his wallet, and his pen.