Figurative language definitions and examples printable

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Figurative language definitions and examples printable

We use figurative language every day -- whether we're talking with our friends or we're talking with our colleagues and bosses. In fact, when used correctly and wisely, figurative language can be a beneficial communication skill in the workplace.What Is Figurative Language?The difference between literal and figurative language is that literal language should be taken at face value, whereas figurative language often has a different meaning or intentions beyond the ways in which the word or phrase is typically used. "Figurative language refers to the color we use to amplify our writing," according to Your Dictionary. "It takes an ordinary statement and dresses it up in an evocative frock. It gently alludes to something without directly stating it. Figurative language is a way to engage your readers, ushering them through your writing with a more creative tone."Essentially, figurative language can help to convey, persuade, convince and impact someone when they receive your verbal or written message. That said, however, it should still be used sparingly. A speech or paragraph that is riddled with figurative language can be tough to understand and, frankly, exhausting to follow.What Are Some Examples of Figurative Language?There are debates regarding just how many types of figurative language there are out there, and as we come up with evermore catchphrases and colloquialisms, figurative languages expand. However, these are some staple, oft-used examples of figurative language in our everyday discourse.1. MetaphorA metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action, though it is not literally applicable.Examples: "Time is a thief." Time is not literally a thief, but it does often seem to disappear. Therefore, though time itself cannot literally be a thief, the figure of speech implies that it's like a thief in that it seems to disappear quickly before our eyes. Another example is "This weekend was a rollercoaster." The weekend wasn't actually a rollercoaster, but it felt as chaotic as a rollercoaster can make one feel.2. SimileA simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is used in comparison with another thing of a different kind. The comparison is intended to make a description more emphatic or vivid for effective communication.Examples: "She's as sly like a fox." A fox is a sly animal and, therefore, someone who is sly could be sly like a fox. Another example is "He's as salty as a pretzel." This means that someone is agitated because "salty" is a colloquialism for being agitated, and pretzels are also salty.3. HyperboleA hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally.Examples: "Her smile was a mile wide." While someone cannot actually have a mile-wide smile, the figure of speech simply means that they have a very big smile. Another example is that someone's feet are "as big as clown's feet." No one really has feet as big as a clown's feet, but someone with big feet might be described this way.4. IdiomAn idiom is a group of words that, when put together, mean something not deducible from meanings of the individual words.Examples: "It's raining cats and dogs out there." It can't literally rain cats and dogs, but the meaning implies that it's raining heavily. An idiom takes on a meaning of its own. Another example is when someone "rubs you the wrong way." They don't physically rub you when they rub you the wrong way; rather, they bother or irritate you perhaps because they're a catty coworker or an unreliable teammate.5. SynecdocheA synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of a phrase is used to represent the whole phrase or vice versa.Examples: "The president of America..." America is often used for short instead of the United States of America. "The Giants" is short for the "The New York Giants," and the team is often referred to that way.6. PersonificationPersonification is when an attribution of a personal nature or human characteristic is used to describe something nonhuman.Examples: "The wind whistled in the night." The wind does not actually whistle like a human can. Instead, the wind made noise that sounded like a whistle. Another example is "a spitting sprinkler." A sprinkler doesn't actually spit, but it does spew water.7. AllusionAn allusion is an expression that intends to call something to mind without explicitly mentioning it. In other words, it's an indirect or passing reference.Example: "I was worried my nose would grow like Pinocchio's." The person using this figure of speech had lied, and they are referring to the story of Pinnochio from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, in which Pinnochio's nose grew each time he told a lie. They don't directly mention the story but they indirectly reference it. Another example of an allusion is to call someone "a Scrooge." Scrooge is a reference to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.8. OxymoronAn oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two terms that are apparently contradictory appear in conjunction. In short: It's a contradiction of terms used to reveal a paradox.Examples: "The deafening silence was spooky." Silence cannot be deafening -- the two words have very different literal meanings. It just means that the silence was too much to handle like deafening music might be -- and being in one's own thoughts in a silent room can feel deafening. Another example is "only choice," because if something is a "choice," it cannot be the "only" option.9. PunA pun, also called paronomasia, is a joke (in the form of wordplay) that exploits the different possible meanings of a word, or of similar-sounding words. (But be careful: Office humor can be tricky.)Examples: "The woman had a photographic memory; she just never developed it." The pun here is that you can't, of course, develop a photographic memory like you can develop photos. It's mean to be humorous and play on the different meanings. Another example of how puns can use similar-sounding words is: "The writer was successful, probably because she had a lot of comma sense." "Comma," here takes the place of "common" because they sound similar. Again, this is used for relevant and humorous effect.10. OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia is a word (sometimes made up) that is associated with a sound. The word phonetically imitates, resembles or suggests the sound that it describes.Examples: "The bees were buzzing around the flowers." Bees make a buzzing sound, and thus they were buzzing. Other onomatopoeic words include swish, boom, wack, beep, etc.11. AlliterationAlliteration is a stylistic figure of speech identified by the repeated sound of the first or second letter in a string of words, or by the repetition of the same letter sounds in stressed syllables of a string of words.Examples: "She sells seashells down by the seashore." The "se" and "she" sounds are repeated in this series of words. Another example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."When Should You Use Figurative Language at the Workplace?Figurative language is used in the workplace every day as a professional communication skill. Of course, figures of speech may vary depending on who you're speaking to or what you're speaking about, and when you need to state the facts and get to the point, you shouldn't litter your speech, presentation, review, etc. with figurative language. But figurative language can be used at work in a variety of ways to help make and drive a point-- and it should be used in certain circumstances to enhance your speaking or writing.1. When You're Giving PresentationsWhen you're giving presentations, you might use phrases like "We've had a lot of success this year, and here's the icing on the cake: We're opening a new office." This metaphor refers to the good news the add to all the good news. You might also tell your audience that, thanks to the new office, "Hope is on the horizon for all of you wishing you had more natural light in the office." Maybe you show them a slide with the new floorplan and explain that the new office is "as big as Alaska."2. When You're Explaining or Delegating TasksWhen you're explaining tasks, using figurative language can be help the person to whom you're explaining the task better understand. For example, if you're asking them to complete the slideshow for an upcoming presentation carefully but quickly, you might tell them to "make haste slowly," which is an oxymoron that means that it's urgent but it needs to still be done well. You might also tell them that you have a relationship "as old as the hills" with the person who will be coming in to view this presentation, so you want to impress them. This means that you have a long-standing relationship with this person and you'd like to maintain that.3. When You're Proposing an IdeaWhen you're proposing an idea, figurative language can be an effective way of communicating it. You might say that your new idea is "as slick as a fox" because you're introducing a new social media growth strategy that targets people's interests "like a mind reader." You might also compare your idea with similes to make it easier to understand and more appealing. You might say that your new social media growth strategy is based on shared interests, so it promises results, unlike your former strategy of inviting random people to like your page that was "went over like a lead balloon." This means that the original idea didn't work, but that you know yours will. You might also explain that you've been watching your social media numbers slowly increase like "watching grass grow" (read: super slowly) but that you know your new plan is "as solid as the ground we stand on" (read: legitimate). You might also use an idiom like "I don't want to jump the gun here but I have an idea."--About the Career Expert:AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist for a gamut of both online and print publications, as well as an adventure aficionado and travel blogger at . She covers all things women's empowerment -- from navigating the workplace to navigating the world. She writes about everything from gender issues in the workforce to gender issues all across the globe. Two peas in a pod is an idiom. Figurative language is a way to say one thing while meaning something entirely different. It is often used in poetry and includes forms of speech such as apostrophe, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, and understatement. Teaching figurative language should begin with learning how and when each device is used in context. Younger children may have a harder time with some of the many complicated types of figurative language, so you may wish to start with just explaining the two most common types: metaphors and similies. The worksheet provided below defines metaphor and simile and offers children an opportunitiy to work with these two pieces of speech. Print the worksheet and have your child determine whether each example uses a metaphor or a simile, or both. Download a simile and metaphor worksheet Recognizing figurative language in everyday conversations and in text takes some practice. For older students, begin with the Metaphor or Simile worksheet as an introduction, and then move onto the second worksheet, entitled Recognizing Figurative Language. Ask your child to fill in the blank with each type of literary device used in each sentence. A word box is included to help children remember all of the types of devices as well as how to spell them. Download recognizing figurative language activity. One of the most common places to find figurative language is within the lines of a poem. Poetry is known for its imagery and often utilizes figures of speech to reach that end. Reading poetry that uses specific literary devices and discussing each instance within the text can be an effective teaching strategy. Try reading the following poems or songs that make use of various forms of figurative language to your child. As you read aloud, see if your child can find the literary device. For younger children, you may wish to let them know which device they should find, and possibly have them jump up or clap when they hear it. For older children, see if they can figure out which form of figurative language is found in each example. It is important for children to begin to recognize figurative language within everyday speech and within the context of a written work. The following teaching strategies offer ways to help your child recognize these literary devices. Use the Definitions and Examples printable above to create a figurative language puzzle. This can be done with a simple puzzle with a base. On the backs of each puzzle piece, write a figure of speech. On the corresponding piece on the base, write an example of that type of figurative speech. Your child can now put together the puzzle by matching the word to a sentence which makes use of the language. This is an especially helpful teaching strategy for younger children. The game known as Hullabaloo by Cranium invites kids to get active with a device that calls out hints and urges children to jump to "pads" which are spread in a room. You can make your own figurative language version of this game for just as much fun, learning, and recognition of figures of speech. On thick paper or construction paper, write the different types of figurative language. You may wish to cut them into fun shapes and laminate them so that they last for many uses. Spread the pieces of paper in an open area. Use the Definitions and Examples printable to call out either an example or a definition of a device and have your child jump, run, skip, or slither to the appropriate "pad." The children's game of I Spy is fun and challenging and can be played almost anywhere. You can adapt this game as a teaching strategy for parts of speech. Figurative language is everywhere. You might hear it on a commercial or in conversation. You might see it on a billboard or in a book. Challenge your child to find five examples of figurative language in a day or, if you have more than one child, see who can find the most examples within a certain time period. The unique twist of this game is that children can spot pictures that depict some of these devices. For instance, a sun wearing sunglasses is personification. Pick one literary device each day and try to integrate it into your conversations as a teaching strategy. If your child recognizes it, you can praise him or reward him with a sticker or five minutes of computer time. For instance, while making lunch, you might say, "It's certainly smelling savory. Soup's on!" Show your approval if your child recognizes the alliteration. You can take this game a step further by asking your child to return in kind. He might reply, "Soup sounds scrumptious!" Take a poem which utilizes a literary device, such as personification, and ask your child to draw two pictures, one which illustrates the literal and one which shows the figurative meaning of the same poem. This can be fun to do with simple phrases such as "He is such a pig" or "The dark night sky was filled with diamonds." Once your child recognizes figurative language, it is time to weave it into his or her writing as a way of reinforcing this new skill. Working figurative language into writing can be a difficult concept at first, but consciously thinking about it will help figures of speech to become a regular resource in your child's writing toolbox. To help your kids gain a deeper knowledge, try these fun teaching strategies. Have your child take a common rhyme or popular poem and rewrite it, removing any instances of figurative language. You may end up with some silly poems, but your student will come away from this exercise understanding the importance of this literary device. Take a non-poetic piece of writing and ask your child to re-write it with the addition of figurative language. He may recreate directions to a recipe, an article in the newspaper, the Preamble to the Constitution, or anything else that lacks even the hint of a simile, metaphor, or hyperbole. Encourage your child to reach beyond overused similes and be creative. Why say "white as snow" when you can say "white as a newly-bleached shirt"? Another fun project may be taking an ordinary, everyday object, such as shampoo or salad dressing, and creating a print advertisement that makes use of figures of speech. There are a number of additional resources for figurative language activities and exercises, including: - This site features a wide variety of exercises and activities to help teach figurative language that are free to download. You can tell which ones have been the most popular with users because of the star-based rating system, as well as rate any that you decide to use for the benefit of others. - Here, you can choose from a list of printable worksheets and activities. The list features worksheet titles along with specific grade level information, making it easy to narrow your search to documents most likely to meet your child's needs. Anyone can download these worksheets at no cost; if you have a fee-based premium membership, you can actually make assignmetns directly to students through the website. - Visit this site for a variety of educational games about figurative language. Some are online games, while others offer printable instructions and/or activities. There are also a few PowerPoint presentations on this site. All resources are available at no cost. In addition to teaching your child what metaphors are and how to use them, it's also important to help him avoid developing problematic usage patterns. As your child becomes more familiar with figures of speech, he will begin to utilize them in many different forms of writing. Now is the time to teach restraint. Overusing figurative language can overwhelm a reader, whereas a sprinkling of these literary devices adds depth and maturity to a piece of writing. Skilled writers know when to use the tools at hand and when to refrain. Additionally, teach your student about the misuse of words, such as with mixed metaphors. A mixed metaphor is a group of incongruous metaphors that often result in an absurd mental picture. An example of a mixed metaphor might be "Now that the ball is in your court, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel." Now may also be an appropriate time to teach about clich?s, which are figures of speech that have lost their impact through overuse. Examples of clich?s include "her cheeks were as red as roses," "he avoids homework like the plague," or "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." It's important to teach the meaning of these overused parts of speech so that kids can understand their meaning and begin to use more creative alternatives. Figurative language is a fun concept both to teach and to learn. Remember to use a variety of approaches and activities to reinforce your child's understanding of the topic. Even after the lesson is over, it's important to continue encouraging your child to use figurative language in his speech and writing. Like most new skills, your child's understanding of this invaluable tool will increase with repetition until he knows it like the back of his hand. ? 2006-2021 LoveToKnow, Corp., except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.

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