figure of speech

American  

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

noun

Rhetoric.

figures of speech plural

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• figures of speech
  plural

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

But it’s certainly more than a figure of speech.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 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 could have been a figure of speech: very little time before the wolves arrive. Perhaps Hades didn’t literally mean wolves. At any rate, we should leave as soon as it’s dark enough for shadows.’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan