A language used to convey a complicated meaning, colorful writing, clarity, or evocative comparison Figurative language refers to the use of words in a way that deviates from the conventional order and meaning in order to convey a complicated meaning, colorful writing, clarity, or evocative comparison. It uses an ordinary sentence to refer to something without directly stating it. Understanding figurative language is an important part of reading the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), where management may use a metaphor to help explain complicated concepts or directions that the company is taking.  Fiction writers use figurative language to engage their audience using a more creative tone that provokes thinking and sometimes humor. It makes fiction writing more interesting and dramatic than the literal language that uses words to refer to statements of fact. Types of Figurative LanguageThere are several types of figurative languages that are used in modern writing. They include: 1. SimileA simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things and uses the words “like” or “as” and they are commonly used in everyday communication. A simile is used with the aim of sparking an interesting connection in the reader’s mind. An example of a simile is, “The cat sat in the chair like a king overlooking his kingdom.” The cat’s sitting posture is compared to that of a king who relaxes in a special chair that is reserved for him and not any other person in the kingdom. Other examples of similes include:
2. MetaphorA metaphor is a statement that compares two things that are not alike. Unlike similes, metaphors do not use the words “like” or “as.” Such statements only make sense when the reader understands the connection between the two things being compared. An example of a popular metaphor is “Time is money.” The statement compares time and money, and it does not literally mean that the amount of time you have equals the money that you have. Instead, it means that time is a valuable resource, and it should be used effectively to earn money. Any time wasted means that a person loses the chance to make more money. Other examples of metaphors include:
3. HyperboleHyperbole is an exaggeration that is created to emphasize a point or bring out a sense of humor. It is often used in everyday conversations without the speaker noticing it. The exaggeration is so outrageous that no one would believe that it is true. It is used to add depth and color to a statement. An example of hyperbole is, “I would die for you.” The sentence does not necessarily mean that one person is literally willing to die for the other, but it used to exaggerate the amount of love that one person has for another person. Death is only used to show the extent of affection. Other examples of hyperbole:
4. PersonificationPersonification is the attribution of human characteristics to non-living objects. Using personification affects the way readers imagine things, and it sparks an interest in the subject. An example of personification is, “The sun greeted me when I woke up in the morning.” The sun is a non-human object but has been given human characteristics since greetings can only be performed by living creatures. Other examples of personification include:
5. SynecdocheSynecdoche is a type of figurative language that uses one part to refer to the whole, or the whole to refer to the part. For example, a set of wheels can be used to refer to a vehicle and a suit to refer to a businessman. When referring to a car as a set of wheels, the wheels are only a part of the car and not the whole thing. Similarly, a typical businessman wears a suit alongside other accessories such as a watch and a briefcase. Other examples of synecdoche include:
6. OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia is a language that names something or an action by imitating the sound associated with it. They add some reality to the writing. Examples of onomatopoeia include:
More ResourcesThank you for reading CFI’s guide to Figurative Language. To keep learning and developing your knowledge, we highly recommend the additional CFI resources below:
The terms metonymy and synecdoche refer to two similar figures of speech often used as literary devices. (They're easy to confuse, so feel free to read this as many times as you need.)
'Synecdoche' is when the word for a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing, or less commonly, the word for a whole is used to refer to a part. 'Metonymy' is when a word associated with something is used to refer to the thing itself. What is SynecdocheSynecdoche refers to a figure of speech in which the word for a part of something is used to refer to the thing itself, or less commonly, when the word for a thing itself is used to refer to part of that thing. The first kind of synecdoche is what we hear when someone uses wheels to refer to a car (“she showed off her new wheels”) or threads to refer to clothing (“a new set of threads”); the second kind is what’s going on when a phrase like “introduced to society” is used to talk about an introduction specifically to high society. A classic example of synecdoche is the use of the term hands to mean “workers” (as in “all hands on deck”), or the noun sails to mean “ships.” Synecdoche is also sometimes used in the names of sports teams, e.g., the White Sox, the Blue Jackets. What is MetonymyMetonymy refers to a figure of speech in which the word for one thing is used to refer to something related to that thing, such as crown for “king” or “queen,” or White House or Oval Office for “President.” The phrase “a bunch of suits” for a group of businesspeople is an example of metonymy; it uses the common wardrobe of businesspeople as shorthand for the people themselves. It’s metonymy when you use a person’s name to refer to the works by that person, as when you say “We’re reading Austen this semester” when you really mean “We’re reading works by Austen this semester.” And it’s metonymy when you use a city’s name to refer to its team, as when you say “Houston was ahead by six points.” Some examples of metonymy are so common as to have become a regular part of the lexicon. The use of press to mean “journalists” dates to the 17th century and occurs in the First Amendment (“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”). It identifies journalists with the name of the device used for printing newspapers. Similarly, a sportswriter might say that a team’s bats went into a slump, when what the writer really means is that the hitters in the lineup went into the slump. Sometimes metonymy is used to make a name catchier than the item it replaces, like when surf and turf, a phrase employing two rhyming terms that allude to the sea and land, is used for a dish combining seafood and beef. Like many terms used in rhetoric, both synecdoche and metonymy derive from Greek. The syn- in synecdoche means "with, along with" (much like as in synonym) and ekdochē means "sense, interpretation." Metonymy meanwhile, combines the Greek meta (“among, with, after,” the same root found in metaphor) with ōnymon, meaning “name” or “word.” Now that you've got these two figured out, check out this list of other common rhetorical devices. |
When you portray a person place thing or an action as being something else even though it is not actually that something else you are speaking metaphorically?
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