Figurative Language

Figurative languages are different phrases or words that we use to create an effect on the meaning of what we are saying. Some different forms of figurative language include similes, metaphors, puns, idioms, and alliteration.

Review Terms

Puns: Puns are a form of wordplay in which you use words that sound the same but have different meanings. e.g., “This vacuum sucks”

Onomatopoeia: Words that mimic a sound that something makes.

Hyperbole: A phrase that over exaggerates something. It is not a literal statement. For example, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

Oxymorons: A contradictory phrase or statement.

Similes are phrases that use “like” or “as” to compare objects to one another. For example, “you are as light as a feather”. Nobody is literally as light as a feather however, this simile tells us that the thing being compared to a feather is not heavy.

Metaphors are phrases that compare two or more objects by saying that they are another thing. The phrase “you are a pig.” is a metaphor. A person is not actually a pig however if someone were to call them one it might mean that they are messy or act pig-like.

Idioms are expressions that are used to describe something through a figurative meaning which makes it difficult to understand in a literal sense.

Alliteration is the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of words that are close to one another.

With a partner discuss the questions asked beginning at minute 4:58 of this video. There should be seven different clips in which you identify which type of figurative language is being used.