A pun, also called paronomasia, involves a word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. Puns are constructions used in jokes and idioms whose usage and meaning are entirely local ...
Metalepsis is a figure of speech in which reference is made to something by means of another thing that is remotely related to it, either through a causal relationship, or through another figure of speech. Example: A lead foot is driving behind me. This refers to someone who drives fast. This ...
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines incongruous or contradictory terms. The plural is oxymorons or oxymora. An oximoron can be made of an adjective and a noun * dark light, deafening silence, living dead etc.). Oximorons can also be a combination of a noun and a verb (the silence ...
Parenthesis is an additional information. The normal progression of a sentence is interrupted by extra information or explanations enclosed in commas, brackets or dashes. The extra information can be a single word, a phrase or even a sentence. Examples: We (myself, wife Lorraine and daughters ...
Understatement is a device that deliberately weakens a statement to sound ironical or softens it to sound more polite. Understatement is a common feature of the English language (especially British English) used in everyday-life situations. Examples: I know a little about running a company. (a ...
Simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced by like or as. Other possibilities are for example: A is (not) like B A is more/less than B A is as … as B A is similar to B A is …, so is B A does …, so does B Examples: The rabbit-hole went straight on like a ...
The author / speaker raises a question, but doesn't answer it directly as he/she sees the answer (usually Yes or No) as obvious. Rhetorical questions are used to provoke, emphasise or argue. Example: When public money brings windfalls to a few, why should the state not take a share?
Repetition consists of words or phrases that are repeated throughout the text to emphasise certain facts or ideas. Example: Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end! »I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?« she said aloud. […] Down, down, down. There was nothing else to ...
