Figurative Language 101
IDIOM- An idiom is a figure of speech, or way of saying something, that means something
else.
The following sentences contain idioms. The fixed words constituting the idiom in each case are
bolded:[3]
a. She is pulling my leg. - to pull someone's leg means to tease them by telling them something
untrue. It does not mean that she is actually pulling my leg.
b. He took me to the cleaners. - to take someone to the cleaners means to cause them to lose a lot of
money. It does not mean that he drove me to a place to get my clothes cleaned.
c. When will you drop them a line? - to drop someone a line means to phone or send a note to
someone.
d. You should keep an eye out for that. - to keep an eye out for something means to watch for it.
e. I can't keep my head above water. - to keep one's head above water means to manage a
situation.
A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first.
A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in the past.
A Dime A Dozen:
Anything that is common and easy to get.
A Doubting Thomas:
A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.
A Drop in the Bucket:
A very small part of something big or whole.
A Leopard Can't Change His Spots:
You cannot change who you are.
A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:
By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).
SIMILE-
a figure of speech that directly compares two different
things, usually by using the words "like" or "as" – also, but less often,
"if", or "than"
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The bottle rolled off the table like a teardrop.
The handshake felt like warm laundry.
She hung her head like a dying flower.
Janie’s boyfriend appreciated her as an ape might appreciate an algebra book.
The child hung from his neck like a necktie.
The clouds were like ice-cream castles.
METAPHOR- a figure of speech that describes a subject as being
something completely different. You would say that a person, place,
animal or thing is something else and not just like another thing (simile).
He has a heart of stone.
She has the walk of a peacock.
He is the shining star of our school.
She has the heart of a lion.
For me, time is money.
Her soft voice was music to Andy's ears.
The puppy was a whirlwind of trouble.
Life is a rollercoaster which everyone has to go through.
PERSONIFICATION- when you give human characteristics to
something that isn’t human, or sometimes, that isn’t even alive.
 My computer throws a fit every time I try to use it.
 The thunder grumbled like an old man.
 The flowers waltzed in the gentle breeze.
 The sun glared down at me from the sky.
 The moon winked at me through the clouds above.
 The fire ran wild.
 The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
 The tornado ran through town without a care.
HYPERBOLE-
is a figurative language technique where
exaggeration is used to create a strong effect. With hyperbole, the
notion of the speaker is greatly exaggerated to emphasize the point.
That was the easiest question in the world.
I can smell pizza from a mile away.
These shoes are killing me.
I’ve seen this movie at least 80,000 times.
Allie has a million pairs of shoes in her closet.
Old Mr. Johnson has been teaching here since the Stone Age.
My mom is going to kill me.
The sight of them kissing is so gross that it makes me want to puke.
ALLITERATION- when a series of words in a row (or close to a row)
have the same first consonant sound, or beginning sound.
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Alice’s aunt ate apples and acorns around August.
Becky’s beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy.
Carries cat clawed her couch, creating chaos.
Dan’s dog dove deep in the dam, drinking dirty water as he dove.
Eric’s eagle eats eggs, enjoying each episode of eating.
ONOMATOPOEIA- Words that represent sounds.
Sputter, splat, squirt, scrape
Clink, clank, clunk, clatter
Crash, bang, beep, buzz
Ring, rip, roar, retch
Twang, toot, tinkle, thud
Pop, plop, plunk, pow
IMAGERY-
Imagery is created through descriptive writing. Imagery
helps the reader paint a picture in his or her mind as he or she reads.
Imagery may include types of figurative language (simile, metaphor,
alliteration, onomatopoeia and personification).
1. Visual images: they consist of things we
can see.
1. Tactile images: they appeal to our sense of
touch.
3. Auditory images: they suggest the sounds
of things, usually resulting in an effect
onomatopoeia (Words that imitate sounds
or sounds that are linked with objects).
4. Olfactory images: they suggest the smells
of things.
5. Kinesthetic images: they refer to actions or
motions.
6. Gustatory images: they suggest the tastes
of things.
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
(Lewis Carroll)
Through the green twilight of a
hedge,
I peered with cheek on the cool leaves
pressed
(Walter de la Mare)
Bow-wow, says the dog,
Mew, mew says the cat,
Grunt, grunt, goes the hog,
And squeak goes the rat.
Tu, whu, says the owl,
Quack, quack, says the duck,
And what the cuckoo says you know.
(Mother Goose)
As Mommy washed up
and the children played,
smell of warm butter filled the air.
(Anonymous)
A poem once stopped me on the
street.
I've got a poem stuck on my feet.
A poem attacked me in the shower.
I find a poem most every hour!
(Mark Stansell)
A mouse found a beautiful piece of
plum cake,
The richest and sweetest that mortal
could make:
'Twas heavy with citron and fragrant
with spice,
And covered with sugar all sparkling
as ice. (Iona and Peter Opie)