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figure of speech

[fig-yer uhv speech] / ˈfɪg yər 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.

But it’s certainly more than a figure of speech.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2024

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

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2023

The term “deafening silence” is even a common figure of speech.

From Scientific American • Jul. 10, 2023

"There are factions. People believe different things. It was a figure of speech and that's how it was intended," he told WJXT-TV.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2022

It’s more than a figure of speech to say that plants create life out of thin air.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan