Meaning & use
figure of speech
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Meanings
nouncountable
A word or phrase used in a non-literal way to create a special effect or make a comparison.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a figure of speech' for one, 'figures of speech' for more than one.
Patterns
- a figure of speech
- use a figure of speech
When she said she was dying of laughter, it was just a figure of speech.
He often uses figures of speech like metaphors and similes in his writing.
Calling the project a 'nightmare' is a figure of speech, not a literal description.
nouncountabletechnical
A particular type of expressive language, such as a metaphor, simile, or hyperbole.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or in the plural to refer to specific types.
Patterns
- a figure of speech such as
- common figures of speech
In English class, we learned about figures of speech like personification and alliteration.
The poet's use of figures of speech made the poem more vivid.
Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for effect.
Word forms
| plural | figures of speech |
|---|
Common combinations
- just a figure of speech
- Don't take it seriously—it was just a figure of speech.
- use a figure of speech
- She used a figure of speech to make her point more memorable.
- common figure of speech
- 'Break a leg' is a common figure of speech in the theater.
- literary figure of speech
- The author employed a literary figure of speech to describe the sunset.
Synonyms and how they differ
- metaphor
- A specific type of figure of speech that directly compares two things without using 'like' or 'as'.
- idiom
- A fixed expression whose meaning is not obvious from the individual words; it can be a figure of speech but is often more fixed.
- trope
- A common theme or device in literature or art; broader than a figure of speech and often used in academic contexts.
Word family
- figurative adjective
- Using words in a non-literal way; related to figures of speech.
- figuratively adverb
- In a non-literal way; often used to clarify that a statement is a figure of speech.
Commonly confused: figure of speech or part of speech?
figure of speech vs part of speech
A grammatical category like noun or verb; not the same as a figure of speech, which is a rhetorical device.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'figure of speech' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 correctly uses 'figure of speech' to indicate a non-literal expression. Option 0 is wrong because a figure of speech is not literal. Option 2 is wrong because a figure of speech is linguistic, not visual art. Option 3 is wrong because figures of speech are studied in language classes, not biology.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “figure of speech”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.