figure of speech - If practice makes perfect, and no one's perfect, then why practice? - Billy Corgan

Contents:

A figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it such as a metaphor, simile, or personification. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. ...

Examples of Figures of Speech

Figures of speech provoke a thought process and bring depth to the language. To be able to use them well is an art, which can be mastered over time. The more you read, the more you will be able to understand. With the help of the following figures of speech examples, you too can master the art of using them appropriately.

Alliteration: Alliteration refers to the repetition of any particular sound among words placed close together, in a sentence. These are mainly consonant sounds, but can be vowel sounds too. It is often used as a figure of speech in poetry. Some examples of alliteration are:
Don't delay dawns disarming display. Dusk demands daylight. - Paul Mccan
Sara’s seven sisters slept soundly in sand.

Anastrophe: This refers to the inversion of the normal order of speech in a particular sentence. It can also be said, that the language is interrupted, and speech takes a sudden turn. This is used for the purpose of emphasis. Examples of anastrophe are:
Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. - Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart
(Original Sentence: There was no object. There was no passion. I loved the old man.)
Why should their liberty than ours be more? - Adriana, Comedy of Errors, William Shakespeare
(Original Sentence: Why should their liberty be more than ours?)

Anaphora: Anaphora refers to a repetition of one particular word purposely, at the start of consecutive sentences or paragraphs. This is again in order to emphasize a point. Examples of anaphora are:
I'm not afraid to die. I'm not afraid to live. I'm not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to succeed. I'm not afraid to fall in love. I'm not afraid to be alone. I'm just afraid I might have to stop talking about myself for five minutes. - Kinky Friedman, When the Cat's Away
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Antonomasia: Antonomasia refers to the substitution of a proper name, with a phrase, which then becomes a way of recognition for the person in question. This can be explained with the help of the following examples:
The King of Pop - Micheal Jackson
The Bard - William Shakespeare
The Dark Knight - Batman

Euphemism: A euphemism is the use of neutral language to remark something that may be offensive to the receiver. Euphemism is often used by people who are diplomatic, and who wish to be politically correct. Some examples of this figure of speech are:
We have to let you go. Read: You're fired.
You're well fed. Read: You're fat.

Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a figure of speech used for the purpose of exaggeration. It mainly forms the basis of several jokes, is used as a way of insults, or could simply be used to dramatize a situation, where in reality, the situation may not be that bad. This can be understood with the help of these hyperbole examples:
I'm so busy trying to accomplish ten million things at once. - I'm trying to accomplish several things at one time.
Your dog is so ugly, we had to pay the fleas to live on him. - Here the hyperbole has been used as an insult.

Irony: Irony refers to the use of certain words that actually intend to convey the opposite. Irony forms the basis of sarcasm, and of humor. It is also a way of expressing the ugly truth in a slightly gentle manner. Some irony examples are:
Bill Gates winning a computer. - Situational Irony (He is the owner of the world's largest software company.)
Having a fight with your best friend just before your birthday, and commenting -"Great, this is just what I needed". - Verbal Irony (It is probably the worst thing that could happen before your birthday.)
In Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet is drugged, Romeo assumes her to be dead, and kills himself. Upon waking up Juliet finds him dead, and kills herself. - Dramatic Irony (mainly based on miscommunication and misunderstanding)

Litotes: This figure of speech refers to the use of understatement, to affirm a particular situation or event with the use of a negative opposite. Examples of metaphors include:
He was not unfamiliar with the work of Shakespeare. - He was familiar with the work of Shakespeare.
Einstein is not a bad mathematician. - Einstein is a great mathematician.

Metaphor: Used for the purpose of comparison, a metaphor is a figure of speech that implies the meaning of an object with its reference to another completely unrelated object. For instance:
The sofa is fertile soil for a couch potato.
But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill. - William Sharp, The Lonely Hunter

Metonymy: Metonymy refers to the use of a phrase regarding associated concept, in order to describe the actual concept. Some metonymy examples are:
The 'editorial page' has always believed... - This refers to the belief of the editors who write the editorial page.
He writes a fine hand - It means he has good handwriting.

Oxymoron: An oxymoron uses a contradictory adjective to define an object, situation or event. Oxymoron examples are:
Loners club
A stripper's dressing room
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!

Onomatopoeia: Such words imitate the sounds made by certain objects or actions. Some examples of onomatopoeia are:
The clatter of utensils.
The flutter of birds.

Paralipsis: This figure of speech is used by people who do not wish to speak on a subject, but still manage to disclose it. Some examples are:
It would be unseemly for me to dwell on Senator Kennedy’s drinking problem, and too many have already sensationalized his womanizing…
I will not dwell on the senator's shady history with the criminal underworld, or on her alcoholic son... such issues should not be brought up in a reasoned debate.

Personification: This refers to the art of bringing to life an inanimate object, trait, or action, by associating it with a human quality. Examples of personification are:
The picture in that magazine screamed for attention.
The carved pumpkin smiled at me.

Pun: Puns refer to the deliberate substitution of similar sounding words, to create a humorous effect. For example:
I bet the butcher the other day that he couldn’t reach the meat that was on the top shelf. He refused to take the bet, saying that the steaks were too high.
Santa’s helpers are subordinate Clauses.

Rhetoric: Rhetoric refers to the art of persuasion through effective speech. Questions that have an obvious answer are known as rhetorical questions. Such questions are not expected to be answered, as the answer is already known. These are included in persuasive speech. Some examples include:
If practice makes perfect, and no one's perfect, then why practice? - Billy Corgan
Why do you need a drivers license to buy liquor when you cannot drink and drive?

Simile: A simile is similar to a metaphor. However, here, a reference between two concepts is made by using the terms 'like' or 'as'. Some simile examples are:
Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee/Like every girl in history. - Ricky Martin
George felt as worn out as an old joke that was never very funny in the first place.

Zeugma: This figure of speech refers to the use of only one word to describe two actions or events. The word however, logically applies only to one of the actions. For instance:
She opened the door and her heart to the orphan.
She lowered her standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes and his hopes.
These were just a few figures of speech examples. There are many more figures of speech. However, these are good to start off with.


Examples from XAT exam:

1. Which sentence includes an oxymoron?
A. On weekend we ate and drank a lot.
B. Meena corrected me by pointing out that she wanted pizza instead of burger.
C. Media reported the attack on media-persons.
D. He loved his aunt but found her kindness suffocating.
E. One should not compare apples and oranges.

Ans: D. He loved his aunt but found her kindness suffocating.
Explanation: An oxymoron uses a contradictory adjective to define an object, situation or event. Oxymoron examples are: Loners club.

2.Which sentence includes an example of personification?
A. Banjaras of Rajasthan are the human equivalent of an endangered species and have no defence against the encroachment of farmers onto their ancestral lands.
B. Take airline pilots for example; they do not need to be graduates to qualify for this job and most pilots are on a salary of Rs. 300,000 per month or more.
C. Recent research provided stark evidence that in education money still plays an important role: it was found that children from poor households could not perform as well as children from rich households.
D. Girls in the family should have a share in the ancestral property as a matter of right whether the will includes it explicitly or not.
E. Democracy does not help the common citizen and it ultimately degenerates into an oligarchy.

Ans: A. Banjaras of Rajasthan are the human equivalent of an endangered species and have no defence against the encroachment of farmers onto their ancestral lands.
Explanation: This refers to the art of bringing to life an inanimate object, trait, or action, by associating it with a human quality. Examples of personification are:
The picture in that magazine screamed for attention.

3. Which sentence suffers most from hyperbole?
A. Most collectors of coins would give the Earth to won one of the copper coins issued by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq.
B. It is thought that eating raw tomatoes would greatly reduce the risk of cancer, but tomato sauce can have a greater effect since it is made from many raw tomatoes.
C. Cricket has a great following in India, but the twenty-twenty format took the game to nook and corner of the world.
D. We face an imminent drinking water crisis in India as the population growth is accompanied by a general decrease in rainfall.
E. Nuclear fusion has potential to solve the energy crisis of not only our country, but that of the entire world.

Ans: A. Most collectors of coins would give the Earth to won one of the copper coins issued by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq.
Explanation: A hyperbole is a figure of speech used for the purpose of exaggeration. It mainly forms the basis of several jokes, is used as a way of insults, or could simply be used to dramatize a situation, where in reality, the situation may not be that bad. This can be understood with the help of these hyperbole examples:
I'm so busy trying to accomplish ten million things at once. - I'm trying to accomplish several things at one time.