Literary Devices & Figures of Speech

a mild or pleasant word or phrase used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive (“Passed away” instead of “died”)

a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting

comparison of one thing with another; used to make a description more emphatic or vivid. Uses the words “like” or “as”

 a reference to a well-known person, character, place, or event outside of the story

comparison (without like or as) between two things that are related but that share mostly uncommon characteristics

a short story about an interesting or funny event or occurrence

the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art, etc.

the use of words that begin with the same sound near one another

language that causes people to imagine pictures in their mind

a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings (example: jumbo shrimp)

a feeling or state of nervousness or excitement caused by wondering what will happen

language that describes something as better or worse than it really is; an exaggeration

a humorous way of using a word or phrase so that more than one meaning is suggested

adjective: happening in the opposite way to what is expected, and typically causing mocking amusement because of this

the practice of representing a thing or idea as a person; giving human-like characteristics to a nonliving object/thing

something happening very differently than what was expected

a person says (or writes) one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning opposite of the literal meaning

a comparison based on likeness, or common characteristics

an expression or phrase that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words; has a meaning of its own

phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message or point across

the creation of words that imitate natural sounds