figurative language

[fig-yer-uh-tiv lang-gwij]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

language that contains or uses figures of speech, especially metaphors.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of figurative language¹

First recorded in 1685–95

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But the singer never has to explain her figurative language to listeners because she’s taking us along the ride, assuming we know what she’s singing about.

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“I’m so used to this kudzu sprawl of figurative language,” she said, “and simple can feel like ‘see spot run,’ but there are simple words like prime integers that carry so much meaning when sung.”

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“Trump voters say that all the time. It’s figurative. We’re just ornery and it’s figurative language,” he said.

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The letter emphasizes rap’s artistry as “rooted in a long tradition of storytelling that privileges figurative language,” hyperbole and poetry.

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In the case of "woke" and "wokeness," conservatives are undermining a positive idea with derisive figurative language.

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When To Use

�� does��figurative��language mean?

Figurative language is language that’s intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved.For this reason, the word figurative is often thought of as the opposite of literal, which refers to the strict meaning of words. For example, the literal meaning of it stinks is “it smells bad.” The figurative meaning of it stinks is “it’s terrible.”Figurative language uses figures of speech, which are expressions like metaphors, similes, idioms, and personification, among many others. You know what special effects are in movies, right? Well, figurative language is like the special effects of words. (By the way, that last sentence was a simile—but more about that later.)Figurative language is used all the time: in poetry and literature for sure, but also in nonfiction writing and everyday speech—just about everywhere words are used. Using figurative language makes the things we say more expressive and more engaging. That’s because it gives us so many ways to express things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to if we only used words literally.

figurative figuratively

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