Figurative Language Glossary
IMAGERY: The representation through language of sense experience; language that appeals to the senses - seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling.
ALLITERATION: The repetition of initial sounds.
Ex: Seven steaks sizzled.
HYPERBOLE: An extreme exaggeration used for effect.
Ex: I’ve told you a hundred times or I’m starving or The suspense is killing me.
METAPHOR: An implied comparison between unlike things.
Ex: He’s a house. Ex. All the world’s a stage, and we are merely players. -Shakespeare
ONOMATOPOEIA: “Sound words”; Words whose sound suggests their meaning.
Ex: buzz, click, snap, chop.
PERSONIFICATION: Giving human characteristics to an animal, object, or idea.
Ex: The hours crawled by like years.
SIMILE: A comparison between two unlike things using words such as: “like” or as”
Ex: Quiet as a mouse
SYMBOLISM: A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which stands for something else more abstract. For example our flag is the symbol of our country.
Ex: A wedding ring is a symbol of commitment, love, honor, etc. It is not just a ring. It’s shape (a circle) is also symbolic; a circle never ends and therefore the love is not supposed to.
IDIOM: An expression where the literal meaning of the word is not the meaning of the expression. It means something other than what it actually says.
Ex: It’s raining cats and dogs.
TONE: The author’s attitude about the subject, characters, or readers
Ex: friendly, teasing, sarcastic, bitter…etc
ALLITERATION: The repetition of initial sounds.
Ex: Seven steaks sizzled.
HYPERBOLE: An extreme exaggeration used for effect.
Ex: I’ve told you a hundred times or I’m starving or The suspense is killing me.
METAPHOR: An implied comparison between unlike things.
Ex: He’s a house. Ex. All the world’s a stage, and we are merely players. -Shakespeare
ONOMATOPOEIA: “Sound words”; Words whose sound suggests their meaning.
Ex: buzz, click, snap, chop.
PERSONIFICATION: Giving human characteristics to an animal, object, or idea.
Ex: The hours crawled by like years.
SIMILE: A comparison between two unlike things using words such as: “like” or as”
Ex: Quiet as a mouse
SYMBOLISM: A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which stands for something else more abstract. For example our flag is the symbol of our country.
Ex: A wedding ring is a symbol of commitment, love, honor, etc. It is not just a ring. It’s shape (a circle) is also symbolic; a circle never ends and therefore the love is not supposed to.
IDIOM: An expression where the literal meaning of the word is not the meaning of the expression. It means something other than what it actually says.
Ex: It’s raining cats and dogs.
TONE: The author’s attitude about the subject, characters, or readers
Ex: friendly, teasing, sarcastic, bitter…etc