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Figures of speech
Techniques
> Use of language > Figures of speech
Figures of speech (or 'rhetorical tropes') are ways of using words that may seem unusual but have a
specific and desired effect. Read as 'normal words' they often break normal
rules of grammar, but can be nevertheless understood They are common in poetry
and eloquent speech.
Some words that may fall into the general 'figures' category are more
rhetorical or other devices. Anyway, here is the big list of figures of speech
and related terms:
- Acoloutha: Reciprocal substitution of words.
- Accismus: Feigned refusal of that which is desired.
- Anacoloutha: Non-reciprocal word
substitution.
- Acutezza: The use of wit or wordplay.
- Acyron: Using a word opposite to what is meant.
- Adianoeta: Expression that has second, subtle meaning.
- Adjunction: Putting the verb at the
beginning.
- Adynaton: Exaggerated declaration of impossibility.
- Apcope: Omitting letters from the end of a word.
- Aphaeresis: Omitting letters from the start of a word.
- Asteismos: Polite expression of emotion.
- Aetiologia: A statement with a supporting cause.
- Affirmatio: Speaking as if one's point is disputed.
- Aganactesis: Indignant exclamation.
- Allegory: Narrative using sustained metaphor.
- Alleotheta: Substituting one thing for another.
- Allusion: Indirect reference.
- Alliteration: Repetition of same initial sound.
- Amphibology: Ambiguity in grammar.
- Amphilogy: Circumlocution to avoid harm to
oneself.
- Ampliatio: Using a name where it is not defined.
- Amplificatio: General enhancement of an argument.
- Anabasis: Stepwise increase in emphasis.
- Anacephalaeosis: Summary of known facts.
- Anacoenosis: Asking opinion of audience to gain
agreement.
- Anacoloutha: Non-reciprocal word
substitution.
- Anacoluthon: Ending a sentence different to expectation.
- Anacrusis: Unstressed syllables at the start.
- Anadiplosis: Repeating last word at start of next sentence.
- Analogy: A is like B. Using one thing to describe another.
- Anamnesis: Emotional recall.
- Anangeon: Justification based on necessity.
- Anaphora: Repeating initial words.
- Anapodoton: Omitting clause for deliberate
effect.
- Anastrophe: Changing normal word order.
- Anesis: Adding a conclusion that reduces what was said.
- Antanaclasis: Repeating same word, with meaning change.
- Antanagoge: Being positive about something negative.
- Anthimeria: Substituting one part of speech for another.
- Antimetabole: repeating clause, reversing
word order.
- Anthypophora: Asking then answering your own questions.
- Antiphrasis: Using words in contrary sense for irony.
- Antiptosis: Two logical, but contradicting, arguments.
- Antirhesis: Rejecting bad argument.
- Antisthecon: Replacing one word element.
- Antistrophe: Repeating the final word in successive phrases.
- Antithesis: Contrasting with opposite.
- Antonomasia: Naming a person with other than
their given name.
- Aphorismus: Questioning the meaning of a
word.
- Apophasis: Talking about something without
mentioning it.
- Aporia: Feigned doubt.
- Aposiopesis: Not completing a sentence.
- Apostrophe: An 'aside', to others.
- Apposition: Layered meaning.
- Archaism: Using out-of-date language.
- Assonance: Repeating the same sound.
- Asterismos: Adding a word to emphasize
following words.
- Asyndeton: Omitting conjunctions.
- Aureation: The use of fancy words.
- Autoclesis: introducing an item by refusing to discuss it.
- Auxesis: Enhancement of importance.
- Bdelygmia: Expression of contempt or hatred.
- Bomphiologia: Bombastic, bragging speech.
- Brachyology: Condensed expression.
- Brevitas: Concise expression.
- Cacemphaton: Deliberately ill-sounding expression.
- Cacophony: Harsh combination of words.
- Catabasis: Steadily decreasing emphasis.
- Catachresis: Using words incorrectly.
- Cataphora: Using a word to refer to a word used later.
- Categoria: Directly exposing another's
faults.
- Chiasmus: Two phrases, with reversal in second.
- Cledonism: Circumlocution to avoid saying
unlucky words.
- Climax: Words ordered in ascending power.
- Consonance: Repeating consonant sounds.
- Correctio: Correction to revise meaning.
- Crasis: Contraction of two vowels into a longer sound.
- Diacope: Repeating word after one or two other words.
- Diallage: Multiple arguments to establish a single point.
- Distinctio: Describing something by saying what it is not.
- Dysphemism: Substituting a mild word with a stronger one.
- Dysrhythmia: Breaking of a rhythmic pattern.
- Dystmesis: Inserting one word into the middle of another.
- Ecphonesis: Short exclamation.
- Ellipsis: omission of words that would make a sentence explicit.
- Enallage: Substituting one item for another.
- Enjambment: Breaking a phrase at an odd
point.
- Enumeratio: Breaking down and detailing a
subject.
- Epanados: Repeating words in the reverse
order.
- Epanalepsis: Repeating the same phrase at
start and end.
- Epanorthosis: In-sentence correction.
- Epenthesis: Adding letters to the middle
of a word.
- Epistrophe: Repetition of the same final word or phrase.
- Epitrope: Conceding in order to gain.
- Erotema: Rhetorical question.
- Ethopoeia: Putting oneself in the position of another.
- Euche: Expressing emotion through prayer.
- Euphemism: Substituting offensive words with gentle ones.
- Eusystolism: Use of initials to avoid speaking harsh words.
- Exemplum: Using examples (real or fictitious).
- Exergasia: Restating a point in different
words.
- Extraposition: Putting a subject at a later position than normal.
- Fictio: Attributing of human traits to creatures.
- Glossolalia: Fabricated, meaningless speech.
- Hendiadys: Two words, connected by conjunction.
- Heterosis: Changing the form of the verb.
- Homoioteleuton: similar endings in adjacent or parallel words.
- Homophone: Different words that sound the
same.
- Hypallage: Reversing syntactical relationship.
- Hyperbaton: Separating words that belong together.
- Hyperbole: Deliberate over-exaggeration.
- Hypocatastasis: Implied comparison.
- Hypocorism: Use of pet names, diminutives, baby talk.
- Hypophora: see Anthypophora.
- Hypotaxis: Subordination of clauses to show
relationships.
- Hypozeuxis: Every clause having its own subject and verb.
- Hysteron proteron: Reversing temporal
sequence to put key things first.
- Illeism: Referring to oneself in the third person.
- Inclusio: Bracketing a passage with the same
words.
- Innuendo: Oblique allusion.
- Irony: Saying something by using its opposite.
- Isocolon: Phrases with multiple similarities.
- Kenning: Replacing noun with circumlocutory
mythologising.
- Litotes: Denying the contrary of what it being affirmed.
- Meiosis: Understatement for emphasis or effect.
- Merism: Combining words for meaning beyond normal combination.
- Merismos: Complete description or reference.
- Metalepsis: Referencing something through a
weakly associated item.
- Metaphor: A is B. Using one thing to describe another.
- Metathesis: Rearranging letters in a word.
- Metaplasmus: Deliberate misspelling.
- Metonymy: Using one item to represent another.
- Oeonismos: Expressing emotion through wishing
or hoping.
-
Parable:
Teaching story.
- Paradiastole: Portraying a vice as a virtue.
- Paraeneticon: Expressing emotion through
exhortation.
- Paralipsis: Emphasis by obvious omission.
- Paraprosdokian: Surprising ending.
- Parataxis: Successive independent clauses.
- Paregmenon: Repetition of words of the
same root.
- Parenthesis: Nesting
sentences.
- Paronomasia: Using similarly sounding words.
- Parrhesia: Boldness of speech.
- Periphrasis: Roundabout wording.
- Perissologia: Excessive use of words.
- Pleonasm: Using unnecessary words.
- Ploce: Repetition of a word whilst varying
specificity.
- Polyptoton: Repetition of a word in different forms.
- Polysyndeton: Repeating conjunctions.
- Polyptoton: Repetition in different forms.
- Praecisio: Not speaking to get over the
message.
- Praeteritio: Mentioning something that is
against the rules.
- Procatalepsis: Answering objections in advance.
- Prolepsis: Anticipation of action.
- Proparalepsis: Adding letters to the
end of a word.
- Prosthesis: Prefixing letters to the beginning of a word.
- Proverb: An encapsulated and unquestioned
wisdom.
- Repetitio: Repeating a single word.
- Rhyme: Repeating sounds at end of words.
- Scesis onamaton: Omitting the only
verb.
- Simile: Explicit comparison between two things.
- Symploce: Simultaneous use of anaphora and epistrophe.
- Synaloepha: Omitting one vowel to combine two words.
- Synchysis: Confused arrangement of words.
- Syncope: Shortening word by omitting middle segment.
- Syndeton: Use of conjunctions.
- Synecdoche: Understanding one thing with another.
- Synesis: Unifying things.
- Synizesis: Successively sounded vowels.
- Tapinosis: Downplaying and reducing something.
More to come...
See also
Metaphor
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