Figurative
Language
Figurative language
is a great way to
make your writing
more descriptive and
meaningful.
Six common types of
figurative language:
idiom
simile
metaphor
personification
hyperbole
pun
Idiom
An expression whose meaning
is not what it sounds like.
I feel like a million dollars
whenever I win a race.
Simile
A comparison using the
word “like” or “as.”
Her sunburned face
looked like a strawberry.
Metaphor
A comparison saying one
thing is another thing.
He was so embarrassed
his face was a tomato.
Personification
Giving human qualities to
an object, animal, or
idea.
The angry sea swallowed
up the tiny boat.
Hyperbole
An exaggeration used to
make a point.
My backpack weighed
a ton.
Pun
Figurative language that purposely
and deliberately takes advantage
similarities between words.
I used to have a fear of hurdles,
but I got over it.
Practice
See if you can
correctly identify the
following types of
figurative language.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
My stomach
growled.
Personification
The sentence gives
a stomach human
qualities
(growling).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
Bob was so scared
he turned white as a
ghost.
Simile
The sentence
compares Bob to a
ghost using the
word “as.”
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
She nearly died
laughing.
Hyperbole
The sentence
exaggerates to
prove a point (she
didn’t really
almost die).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
My stomach is a
bottomless pit.
Metaphor
The sentence
compares two
things by saying
my stomach is a
bottomless pit.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
This couch is as hard
as a rock.
Simile
The sentence
compares the
couch to a rock
using the word
“as.”
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
I’m so hungry I
could eat a horse.
Hyperbole
The sentence
exaggerates to
prove a point (I
couldn’t really eat
a horse).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
Mary is an angel.
Metaphor
The sentence
compares two
things by saying
Mary is an angel.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
I have a fear of
needles. They really
get under my skin.
Pun
It’s “punny” because needles
really do get under your skin,
but the phrase can also mean
that something is creepy.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
The two large oak
trees guarded the
path.
Personification
The sentence gives
the trees human
qualities (guarding
the path).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
Ernest and Julie decided not
to plan their presentation
before its due date; they
figured they would play it
by ear.
Idiom
“Play it by ear” is an
expression. It does
not mean to actually
use your ear to play
something.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
The cabin was a
freezer during the
winter.
Metaphor
The sentence
compares two
things by saying
the cabin was a
freezer.
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
The wind howled
through the trees.
Personification
The sentence gives
the wind human
qualities (howled).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
I tried calling him a
million times.
Hyperbole
The sentence
exaggerates to
prove a point (I
didn’t really call a
million times).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
Jason ran like a
cheetah.
Simile
The sentence
compares Jason to
a cheetah using
the word “like.”
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
That poem really
spoke to me.
Personification
The sentence gives
the poem human
qualities (the
poem speaking).
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
The test was a piece
of cake.
Metaphor/Idiom
The sentence compares two
things by saying the test
was a piece of cake, but it
also uses the expression
“piece of cake,” meaning
“easy.”
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
Her hair flowed over
her shoulders like a
golden river.
Simile
The sentence
compares her hair
to a golden river
using the word
“like.”
What kind of
figurative language
is this?
“I’ve been waiting
forever!” she
exclaimed.
Hyperbole
The sentence
exaggerates to
prove a point (she
didn’t really wait
forever).
Guided Practice
• Using what you have learned about
figurative language types, read President
Obama’s inaugural speech from 2008.
Highlight or underline as many examples of
figurative language as you can. Then
answer the questions on the board on the
back of the paper.