simile
a comparison of two unlike things using the words "like," "as" or "than
onomatopoeia
a word that is a sound, for example: whoosh, snap, bang
irony
the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, "How nice!" when I said I had to work all weekend.
alliteration
the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more neighboring words
personification
giving human characteristics to something that is not human
connotation
An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. Ex. Chicken-while this literally refers to an animal, it is a term used to describe someone who is a coward.
denotation
the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary definition.
hyperbole
an obvious exaggeration that is often humorous.
Ex. He is so thin he only has one stripe in his striped pyjamas. OR I was so hungry I could have eaten fifty pancakes.
Allegory
a symbolic expression of a deeper meaning
of a story or scene acted out by human, animal, or
mythical characters (e.g., Aesop's Fables animals and their actions allegorically represent human beings and our way of living)
Analogy
a comparison between two things that are
similar in some way (e.g., glove is to hand as paint is to wall)
Idiom
a phrase that has a different meaning than that of the words that make it up
Ex. This is a piece of cake. (very easy)
homophone
a word that has the same sound as another word, even though the two words have different meanings and are spelled differently.
imagery
a mental picture created with words that use one or more of the five senses
metaphor
a comparison of two unlike things without using the words "like," "as" or "than