(1) Idioms
An idiom is an expression that conveys something different from its literal meaning and that cannot be guessed from the meanings of its individual words. “Between a rock and a hard place” is an idiom that means “in a difficult or bad position with no good way of getting out of it”. What makes an idiom different from a figure of speech is that its nonliteral meaning is already familiar to speakers of the language.
(2) Figures of speech
A figure of speech is a phrase or an expression that expresses an idea by using words in a nonliteral and imaginative way. Unlike an idiom, it is possible to understand a figure of speech even if you have never heard it before. Metaphors and similes are figures of speech.
(3) Hyperbole
Hyperbole is language that describes something as better or worse than it really is. Hyperbole is really just a fancy word for exaggeration.
An idiom is an expression that conveys something different from its literal meaning and that cannot be guessed from the meanings of its individual words. “Between a rock and a hard place” is an idiom that means “in a difficult or bad position with no good way of getting out of it”. What makes an idiom different from a figure of speech is that its nonliteral meaning is already familiar to speakers of the language.
(2) Figures of speech
A figure of speech is a phrase or an expression that expresses an idea by using words in a nonliteral and imaginative way. Unlike an idiom, it is possible to understand a figure of speech even if you have never heard it before. Metaphors and similes are figures of speech.
- Metaphors
- Similes (Tip: The final -e in simile is pronounced like –ee.)
(3) Hyperbole
Hyperbole is language that describes something as better or worse than it really is. Hyperbole is really just a fancy word for exaggeration.