Literary Devices

Question	Answer
Hyperbole	A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.
Oxymoron	Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect as in: Jumbo Shrimp, Pretty Ugly, Cleary Confused, Cruel to be Kind.
Figuratively	using words not in their normal literal meaning but in a way that makes a description more interesting or impressive
Literal	the literal meaning of a word is its most basic meaning
Synonym	if two words are synonymous, they have the same meaning or almost the same meaning
Conversational	a conversational style of writing or speaking is informal, like a private conversation
Elliptical	suggesting what you mean rather than saying or writing it clearly
Eloquent	expressing what you mean
Emphatic	making your meaning very clear because you have very strong feelings about a situation or subject
Euphemism	a word or expression that people use when they want to talk about something unpleasant or embarrassing without mentioning the thing itself
Idiom	an expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of the individual words. For example, ‘to have your feet on the ground’ is an idiom meaning ‘to be sensible’.
Coherent	a coherent statement is reasonable and sensible
Articulate	able to express your thoughts, arguments, and ideas clearly and effectively
Rhetorical question	a question that you ask without expecting or wanting an answer
Hypothetical	based on situations or events that seem possible rather than on actual ones
Verbose	using more words than necessary, and therefore long and boring
Cliché	a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interestingly “All that glitters is not gold” “Don’t get your knickers in a twist” “All for one, and one for all”
Colloquial	characteristic of ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal
Imperative	absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable: It is imperative that we leave.
Metaphor	a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.) The assignment was a breeze. (This implies that the assignment was not difficult.)
Onomatopoeia	the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ). .
Alliteration	stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series But a better butter makes a batter better. A big bully beats a baby boy.
Bias	A strong inclination of the mind or a preconceived opinion about something or someone. A bias may be favorable or unfavorable: bias in favor of or against an idea.
Inference	An inference is an idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning. An inference is an educated guess. We learn about some things by experiencing them first-hand, but we gain other knowledge by inference — the process of inferring things based on what is already known.
Tautology	repetitive use of phrases or words which have similar meanings. “Repeat that again” or “reiterate again” “Shout It Out Loud!”

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	Created by Sandra Yeadon about 8 years ago