When we talk about synecdoche, we talk about a figure of speech in which one only uses a part of an expression but mean the whole expression.  It is a shortening which is understood because it is [...]

Assonance is the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another in a single phrase or sentences. assonance noun the resemblance of sound in words or syllables the [...]

A pun refers to the usually humorous use of a word in a way that suggests two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound. For some, a pun is the lowest form of humor, [...]

A paradox describes a figure of speech which, although seeming to make no sense and being self-contradictory, does contain an element of truth. paradox noun A paradox is a statement that [...]

Aaah, irony! Irony underpins college student humor.  It is the official millennial/hipster state of mind and dominates much of the humor in this generation’s movies, songs and books. Irony [...]

A euphemism is a word or a phrase which when replaced by another word, removes the statement’s potential to hurt feelings or cause embarrassment, and instead replaces it with a word which [...]

Understatement is used to convey that something is less important than it really is. It is often used ironically when the opposite of this response is more appropriate and in fact what you are [...]

Antithesis – quite a mouthful of a word. It is a figure of speech used in a single sentence in which a  person, a characteristic or a thing is stated to be the direct opposite of something [...]

Allusion is one of the lesser known figures of speech. This is how Merriam-Webster defines allusion: “..a figure of speech, where a direct reference to a particular object, person, event or [...]

Symbolism is the practice using an object, image or a word to represent an abstract idea.  Symbolism is used not only in the English language, but also in art, theater, dance and other forms of [...]