figure of speech

[fig-yer uhv speech] / ˈfɪg yər əv ˈspitʃ /

NOUN

non-literal communication

Synonyms

WEAK

adumbration allegory alliteration allusion analogue analogy anaphora anticlimax antistrophe antithesis aposiopesis apostrophe asyndeton bathos comparison conceit device echoism ellipsis euphemism euphuism exaggeration expression flourish flower hyperbole image imagery irony litotes malapropism manner of speaking metaphor metonymy onomatopoeia ornament oxymoron parable paradox parallel personification proteron rhetoric sarcasm satire simile stylistic device synecdoche trope tropology turn of phrase understatement way of speaking

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“This wording, like going from minister of defense to minister of war — let’s hope it’s just a figure of speech,” he recently said in Italian.

From Salon

In baseball parlance, that phrase is typically a figure of speech.

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s certainly more than a figure of speech.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is absolutely absurd. I believe that President Biden is aware of this. This is merely a figure of speech to support his incorrect strategy against Russia,” Mr. Putin said, according to Russian state-controlled media.

From Washington Times

The quincentennial likewise fueled critical works by Smith, such as her ongoing “I See Red” series, which embeds a pejorative term used to describe Indigenous people within a figure of speech about rage.

From Los Angeles Times

figure of speech

Example Sentences

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