A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that accomplishes a unique effect by utilizing words distinctively. Although there are hundreds of figures of speech, here we’ll focus on 14 top examples.
Alliteration Examples
- She sells seashells.
Anaphora Examples
- “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
Assonance Examples
- A – “For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore.” – “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe
Euphemism Examples
- A little thin on top
Hyperbole Examples
- I’ve told you to stop a thousand times.
Irony Examples
- “How nice!” she said when I told her I had to work all weekend.
Metaphor Examples
- heart of stone
Onomatopoeia Examples
- whoosh
Oxymoron Examples
- peace force
Personification Examples
- The flowers nodded.
Simile Examples
- as slippery as an eel
Synecdoche Examples
- wheels can represent a car
Understatement Examples
- It’s just a scratch. (referring to a large dent)
Idiomatic Figures of Speech
- I’m as mad as a wet hen! (I’m extremely angry.)