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figures of speech
AP LANG KIDS!!! HERE YOU GO!!!
Term | Definition |
---|---|
cliche | an overused expression |
idiom | a phrase that is not literal (and usually is an expression used by a particular group of people) |
apostrophe | a direct address to an inanimate object, an absent or dead person, or idea |
personification | giving human-like characteristics to non-human things |
paradox | a statement or phrase that seems contradictory but is actually true |
oxymoron | a two-worded paradox |
metaphor | direct comparison between two unlike things |
simile | direct comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as |
analogy | direct comparison between two unlike things, but it is more complex and extends the comparison in such a way that the two ideas or objects being discussed might be alike in so many ways that the comparison can be extended to other areas |
metonymy | an expression in which one word or phrase stands in for another with which it is closely associated |
synecdoche | a type of metonymy where a part is made to represent the whole |
juxtaposition | placing two contrasting words, objects, images, or ideas side-by-side so that their differences are emphasized |
antithesis | a type of juxtaposition that is balanced or parallel in structure |
litotes | a type of understatement where an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (can sometimes be a meiosis) |
meiosis/understatement | minimizes the importance of something through euphemism |
euphemism | substituting an inoffensive word for something harsh or impolite |
hyperbole | emphasizes the importance of something by using exaggerated language not meant to be interpreted literally |