Examples of Figures of Speech
Figures of speech provoke a thought process and bring
depth to the language. To be able to use them well is an art,
which can be mastered over time. The more you read, the
more you will be able to understand. With the help of the
following figures of speech examples, you too can master
the art of using them appropriately.
Alliteration: Alliteration refers to the repetition of any
particular sound among words placed close together, in a
sentence. These are mainly consonant sounds, but can be
vowel sounds too. It is often used as a figure of speech in
poetry. Some examples of alliteration are:
 Don't delay dawns disarming display. Dusk
demands daylight. - Paul Mccan
 Sara’s seven sisters slept soundly in sand.
Anastrophe: This refers to the inversion of the normal order
of speech in a particular sentence. It can also be said, that
the language is interrupted, and speech takes a sudden turn.
This is used for the purpose of emphasis. Examples of
anastrophe are:
 Object there was none. Passion there was none. I
loved the old man. - Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale
Heart
(Original Sentence: There was no object. There was
no passion. I loved the old man.)
 Why should their liberty than ours be more? -
Adriana, Comedy of Errors, William Shakespeare
(Original Sentence: Why should their liberty be
more than ours?)
Anaphora: Anaphora refers to a repetition of one particular
word purposely, at the start of consecutive sentences or
paragraphs. This is again in order to emphasize a point.
Examples of anaphora are:
 I'm not afraid to die. I'm not afraid to live. I'm not
afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to succeed. I'm not
afraid to fall in love. I'm not afraid to be alone. I'm
just afraid I might have to stop talking about myself
for five minutes. - Kinky Friedman, When the Cat's
Away
 Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Antonomasia: Antonomasia refers to the substitution of a
proper name, with a phrase, which then becomes a way of
recognition for the person in question. This can be explained
with the help of the following examples:
 The King of Pop - Micheal Jackson
 The Bard - William Shakespeare
 The Dark Knight - Batman
Euphemism: A euphemism is the use of neutral language to
remark something that may be offensive to the receiver.
Euphemism is often used by people who are diplomatic, and
who wish to be politically correct. Some examples of this
figure of speech are:
 We have to let you go. Read: You're fired.
 You're well fed. Read: You're fat.
Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a figure of speech used for the
purpose of exaggeration. It mainly forms the basis of several
jokes, is used as a way of insults, or could simply be used to
dramatize a situation, where in reality, the situation may not
be that bad. This can be understood with the help of
these hyperbole examples:
 I'm so busy trying to accomplish ten million things
at once. - I'm trying to accomplish several things at
one time.
 Your dog is so ugly, we had to pay the fleas to live
on him. - Here the hyperbole has been used as an
insult.
Irony: Irony refers to the use of certain words that actually
intend to convey the opposite. Irony forms the basis of
sarcasm, and of humor. It is also a way of expressing the
ugly truth in a slightly gentle manner. Some irony
examples are:
 Bill Gates winning a computer. - Situational Irony
(He is the owner of the world's largest software
company.)
 Having a fight with your best friend just before your
birthday, and commenting -"Great, this is just what
I needed". - Verbal Irony (It is probably the worst
thing that could happen before your birthday.)
 In Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet is drugged, Romeo
assumes her to be dead, and kills himself. Upon
waking up Juliet finds him dead, and kills herself. -
Dramatic Irony (mainly based on
miscommunication and misunderstanding)
Litotes: This figure of speech refers to the use of
understatement, to affirm a particular situation or event
with the use of a negative opposite. Examples of
metaphors include:
 He was not unfamiliar with the work of
Shakespeare. - He was familiar with the work of
Shakespeare.
 Einstein is not a bad mathematician. - Einstein is a
great mathematician.
Metaphor: Used for the purpose of comparison, a metaphor
is a figure of speech that implies the meaning of an object
with its reference to another completely unrelated object.
For instance:
  The sofa is fertile soil for a couch potato.
 But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a
lonely hill. - William Sharp, The Lonely Hunter
Metonymy: Metonymy refers to the use of a phrase
regarding associated concept, in order to describe the actual
concept. Some metonymy examples are:
 The 'editorial page' has always believed... - This
refers to the belief of the editors who write the
editorial page.
 He writes a fine hand - It means he has good
handwriting.
Oxymoron: An oxymoron uses a contradictory adjective to
define an object, situation or event. Oxymoron
examples are:
 Loners club
 A stripper's dressing room
 I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!
Onomatopoeia: Such words imitate the sounds made by
certain objects or actions. Some examples of
onomatopoeia are:
 The clatter of utensils.
 The flutter of birds.
Rhetoric: Rhetoric refers to the art of persuasion through
effective speech. Questions that have an obvious answer are
known as rhetorical questions. Such questions are not
expected to be answered, as the answer is already known.
These are included in persuasive speech. Some examples
include:
 If practice makes perfect, and no one's perfect, then
why practice? - Billy Corgan
 Why do you need a drivers license to buy liquor
when you cannot drink and drive?
Simile: A simile is similar to a metaphor. However, here, a
reference between two concepts is made by using the terms
'like' or 'as'. Some simile examples are:
 Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a
bee/Like every girl in history. - Ricky Martin
 George felt as worn out as an old joke that was
never very funny in the first place.
Zeugma: This figure of speech refers to the use of only one
word to describe two actions or events. The word however,
logically applies only to one of the actions. For instance:
 She opened the door and her heart to the orphan.
 She lowered her standards by raising her glass, her
courage, her eyes and his hopes.

Paralipsis: This figure of speech is used by people who do

not wish to speak on a subject, but still manage to disclose
it. Some examples are:

 It would be unseemly for me to dwell on Senator

Kennedy’s drinking problem, and too many have
already sensationalized his womanizing…
 I will not dwell on the senator's shady history with
the criminal underworld, or on her alcoholic son...
such issues should not be brought up in a reasoned
debate.

Personification: This refers to the art of bringing to life an

inanimate object, trait, or action, by associating it with a
human quality. Examples of personification are:

 The picture in that magazine screamed for

attention.
 The carved pumpkin smiled at me.

Pun: Puns refer to the deliberate substitution of similar

sounding words, to create a humorous effect. For example:

 I bet the butcher the other day that he couldn’t

reach the meat that was on the top shelf. He
refused to take the bet, saying that the steaks were
too high.
 Santa’s helpers are subordinate Clauses.