| Term | Definition |
| metaphor | an implied comparison that does not use the word like or as |
| simile | a type of comparison that uses the word like or as |
| synecdoche | a part of something is used to refer to the whole |
| metonymy | an entity is referred to by one of its attributes |
| personification | inanimate objects are given human characteristics |
| periphrasis | the substitution of an attributive word or phrase for a proper name, or the use of a proper name to suggest a personality characteristic |
| pun | a play on words |
| anthimeria | one part of speech, usually a verb, substitutes for another, usually a noun |
| onomatopoeia | sounds of the words used are related to their meaning |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration for effect |
| litotes | understatement |
| irony | words are meant to convey the opposite of their literal meaning |
| oxymoron | words that have apparently contradictory meanings are placed near each other |
| rhetorical question | a question is designed not to secure an answer but to move the development of an idea forward and suggest a point |