figure of speech

[fig-yer uhv speech] / ˈfɪg jər əv ˈspitʃ /

NOUN

non-literal communication

Synonyms

WEAK

adumbration allegory alliteration allusion analogue analogy anaphora anticlimax antistrophe antithesis aposiopesis apostrophe asyndeton bathos comparison conceit device echoism ellipsis euphemism euphuism exaggeration expression flourish flower hyperbole image imagery irony litotes malapropism manner of speaking metaphor metonymy onomatopoeia ornament oxymoron parable paradox parallel personification proteron rhetoric sarcasm satire simile stylistic device synecdoche trope tropology turn of phrase understatement way of speaking

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

figure of speech

Asked during her evidence about the phrase, Price said it was "a figure of speech".

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

The name is not a figure of speech or a metaphor.

From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2026

In baseball parlance, that phrase is typically a figure of speech.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024

Which word means a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect?

From Slate ● Nov. 20, 2023

But it’s an irony of human communication that the more beautiful or lively or effective the figure of speech, the more likely it will be loved, remembered, repeated, worn out, and finally worked to death.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

figure of speech

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Random Word

Related Words