Name______Date:______

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

TYPE & DEFINITION / EXAMPLE
Idiom-Word or phrase that has a figurative meaning and does not make sense (and is often silly) when taken literally. Idioms are specific to a particular culture and usually do not directly translate into other languages.
Simile- A sentence or phrase that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
The two objects compared may seem very different in real life, but the simile shows how they are similar.
Metaphor- A sentence or phrase that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.”
A metaphor states that one thing is another thing.
The two objects compared may seem very different in real life.
Onomatopoeia- A word that imitates (sounds like) the sound it represents.
Personification- Language in which an animal or object is described using human characteristics.
Alliteration- The repetition of the same sound throughout a poem or piece of literature (usually within the same line). Includes tongue twisters.
Hyperbole- An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true.
Oxymoron- A phrase that combines a pair of words with opposite meanings to emphasize a point.
Allusion- a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events.

Literal Language- language that means exactly what it says.

Figurative Language- language that has a deeper meaning other than the direct dictionary meaning of each word.