figure of speech

American  

[fig-yer uhv speech] / ˈfɪg yər əv ˈspitʃ /

noun

Rhetoric.

plural

figures of speech

1. any expressive use of language, as a metaphor, simile, personification, or antithesis, in which words are used in other than their literal sense, or in other than their ordinary locutions, in order to suggest a picture or image or for other special effect.

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figure of speech British  

noun

1. an expression of language, such as simile, metaphor, or personification, by which the usual or literal meaning of a word is not employed

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Etymology

Origin of figure of speech

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

The name is not a figure of speech or a metaphor.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

That’s not a figure of speech but a literal description of the situation Neglia inherited.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2024

Which word means a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect?

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2023

The term “deafening silence” is even a common figure of speech.

From Scientific American • Jul. 10, 2023

It’s more than a figure of speech to say that plants create life out of thin air.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan