Synecdoche is a figure of speech that uses a part of something to refer to the whole (e.g., using the word “wheels” to refer to a car). Sometimes, synecdoche involves using the whole to refer to a part (e.g., referring to the Brazilian football team as “Brazil”).
Synecdoche is an effective literary device for creating memorable images and avoiding repetition. Because of this, it is commonly used in poetry, literature, and everyday speech.
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Synecdoche exampleMy nephew is learning his ABCs. [the alphabet]
Would you like paper or plastic? [types of grocery bag]
Can I buy you a glass? [a drink]
They have boots on the ground for a serious mission. [soldiers]
Irony is a rhetorical device in which the apparent meaning of a situation or statement is not the same as the underlying meaning. Irony involves a contrast between appearance or expectation and reality.
Irony exampleSuppose you and your friend are watching a political candidate give a long and incoherent speech. At the end of the speech, you turn to your friend and say “What a masterclass in public speaking!”
Irony is often used in literature, but you may also encounter it in everyday conversations, movies, or song lyrics. It’s best to avoid irony in academic writing or professional communication to prevent miscommunications.
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Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a word is replaced with another word closely associated with the original concept, such as “love” with “heart.”
Metonymy is used to create vivid imagery, add layers of meaning to a text, and convey ideas in a concise way. It’s commonly used in literature, newspaper headlines, and everyday speech.
Metonymy examplesSwedish is my mother tongue.
The White House declined to comment.
Tom’s favorite dish is mac and cheese.
They had a Monet hanging on their wall, and they didn’t know.
The use of metonymy is common in literature and in everyday conversations, but it should be avoided in academic writing or professional communication.
In rhetoric, a trope is a word or phrase that implies something different to its ordinary meaning. Instead of its literal meaning, a trope generates a figurative meaning. This is usually done to add flair to written or spoken language.
Trope example“The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.”
In this quote from All’s Well that Ends Well, Shakespeare does not literally mean that life is a web. Instead, he uses a trope called a metaphor to suggest that life resembles a web: it is complicated and the good and the bad are entangled.
Tropes are common in literature, but also in everyday speech, advertising, and politics. If you want to explore creative writing, use QuillBot to quickly and easily paraphrase online.
Simile is a rhetorical device that makes a comparison between two things and/or people using the comparison words “as,” “than,” or “like.”
The comparison made in a simile is not a literal one between like things but a figurative one between unlike things. For example, “John is as tall as me” is not a simile—just a literal comparison—but “John is as tall as a mountain” is a simile and shouldn’t be taken literally.
Simile examplesHer hair was red as roses.
The crisp, white snow sparkled like diamonds.
I’m happier than the morning sun.
Similes are often used in prose or poetry. Do you want to find your creative voice? Try QuillBot’s Paraphraser!
An extendedmetaphor is a literary device in which a metaphor continues for several lines or paragraphs. Just like a simple metaphor, it makes a comparison between two things or ideas. However, it is not limited to one sentence.
Extended metaphor example“No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
In these lines from Meditation XVII, John Donne uses an extended metaphor: he compares individual people to islands and society or humanity to a continent. By doing so, he conveys the idea that no one exists in isolation and that we are all interconnected because we are part of mankind.
Extended metaphors are common in poetry, but they are also used in prose.
A malapropism occurs when a word is accidentally replaced with a similar-sounding word (e.g., “prosperous” and “preposterous”).
This often results in a nonsensical or humorous statement. In literature and comedy, writers sometimes deliberately use malapropisms to inject humor or add color into their work.
Malapropism examplesHe was a man of great statue (stature).
She hurried to the doctor to get the anecdote (antidote).
My new winter jacket has really good installation (insulation).
Malapropisms do not only occur in fiction. They also occur in everyday speech.
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more nearby words, such as “gentle giant” or “paper plane.” Alliteration gives an air of musicality to our words and makes them more memorable.
Alliteration examplesTongue twisters typically involve alliteration:
A big black bug bit a big black bear.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A flea and a fly flew up in a flue. Said the flea, “Let us fly!” Said the fly, “Let us flee!” So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
Alliteration is often found in poetry and prose, as well as in brand names and products.
Published on
June 28, 2024
by
Jack Caulfield, MA
Revised on
November 21, 2024
A metaphor is way to describe something or someone by saying that it is (or sometimes isn’t) something else, as in the examples below.
Metaphor examplesDad is a caveman when it comes to social media.
Paul is my rock when I need someone to support me.
This is a figurative (nonliteral) use of language. A metaphorical statement isn’t literally true, but it’s used to state or imply something true about the thing or person described.
Metaphor can be categorized as a literary device, figure of speech, or rhetorical device. It is encountered in everyday speech, in literature, and in all kinds of writing. QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you explore creative writing devices like metaphors!
Onomatopoeia is creating or using words that imitate the sound of the thing they describe. This can involve animal calls (“meow” for a cat vocalization), machine noises (“vroom” for an engine sound), or descriptions of actions (“pow” for a blow).
Onomatopoeia is usually an uncountable noun, but onomatopoeic words are sometimes called onomatopoeias.
Onomatopoeia examplesSet your smartphone to airplane mode so it does not beep during the movie.
The old door creaked open.
The sound of the horse’s neigh echoed through the night.
The heavy book landed on the table with a thud.
Onomatopoeia is common in everyday conversations, advertising slogans, and literature.