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Learn the definitions and uses of 31 rhetorical devices, such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and more. See how these figures of speech can enhance writing and speaking for communication or persuasion.
- Amplification. Amplification is a little similar to parallelism: by using repetition, a writer expands on an original statement and increases its intensity.
- Anacoluthon. Anacoluthon is a fancy word for a disruption in the expected grammar or syntax of a sentence. That doesn’t mean that you misspoke—using anacoluthon means that you’ve deliberately subverted your reader’s expectations to make a point.
- Anadiplosis. Anadiplosis refers to purposeful repetition at the end of one sentence or clause and at the beginning of the next sentence or clause. In practice, that looks something like a familiar phrase from Yoda
- Antanagoge. Antanagoge is the balancing of a negative with a positive. For example, the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is antanagoge—it suggests a negative (lots of lemons) and follows that up with a positive (make lemonade).
Jul 8, 2019 · Learn what rhetorical devices are and how they can be used to persuade, inform, or argue. Explore the four categories of rhetorical devices and some of the most common and powerful examples from speeches, literature, and media.
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Dec 19, 2023 · Learn what a rhetorical device is and how it can influence your audience. Explore 13 types of rhetorical devices with examples and tips for using them in writing and speech.
- Accismus
- Adnomination
- Adynaton
- Alliteration
- Anacoluthon
- Anadiplosis
- Anaphora
- Antanagoge
- Anthimeria
- Antiphrasis
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Accismusis the rhetorical refusal of something one actually wants, to try and convince themselves or others of a different opinion. Example: I’m fine! I didn’t want to win that gold medal anyway!
Adnominationis the use of multiple words with the same root in the same sentence. Like many other rhetorical devices, this is a linguistic trick to make statements sound more persuasive. Example: Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, we’ll find an answer to that question.
Adynataare purposefully hyperbolic metaphors to suggest that something is impossible — such as the classic saying, “when pigs fly”. And hyperbole, of course, is a rhetorical device in and of itself: an excessively exaggerated statement for effect. Example: I wouldn’t date him if he was the last man on Earth!
Alliteration is the repetition of consonants across successive, stressed syllables… get it? This most often means repeating consonants at the beginning of multiple words, as opposed to consonance, which is the repetition of consonants anywhere in consecutive words. (Learn more about the difference between alliteration and consonance — and other typ...
An anacoluthonis a misdirection that challenges listeners and/or readers to think deeply and question their assumptions. Example: The opening sentence of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosisis a famous anacoluthon because it ends somewhere entirely different than where it started: “When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himse...
Anadiplosisis the repetition of the word from the end of one sentence to the beginning of the next. It has been used by everyone from Shakespeare to Yeats to Yoda. Example: As Yoda laments in Stars Wars: The Phantom Menace: “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
Another type of repetition, anaphora,is the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of subsequent sentences. Example: Though Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” is best known for its opening line, we'll skip to the next part of the poem, where he uses the word 'who' to keep a run-on sentence going. “Whopoverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat u...
Antanagogeinvolves responding to an allegation with a counter-allegation that reframes the situation. Antanagoge doesn't necessarily solve the initial problem, but it does provide an appealing alternative. Example: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” 🍋 People unconsciously use antanagoge all the time to justify things to themselves: “Well...
Anthimeriais the intentional misuse of one word’s part of speech, such as using a noun for a verb. It’s been around for centuries, but is frequently used in the modern day, as “Instagramming” and “adulting” have seamlessly become part of the lexicon. Example: “Have you tried Googling that?”
Antiphrasis is a sentence or phrase that means the opposite of what it appears to say. Like how the idiom, “Tell me about it” generally means, “Don’t tell me about it — I already know.” It’s a subset of a much more common rhetorical device: irony. Example: “Take your time. We’ve got all day.”
Learn how to use rhetorical devices to convey a point or convince an audience with language. This post explains 45 types of rhetoric, such as alliteration, anaphora, and antithesis, with examples and a free cheatsheet.
May 25, 2024 · Learn what rhetorical devices are and how to use them to communicate more persuasively and memorably. Explore different types of rhetorical devices, such as repetition, sound, figurative language, and persuasive techniques, with examples and explanations.
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Nov 16, 2023 · The most well-known examples are anaphoras, anastrophes, asyndeton, chiasmus, omissions, hyperbaton and polysyndeton. Meaning-related rhetorical devices: these types of devices use the word’s semantic aspect, or their meaning. Some examples are hyperbole, litotes, metaphors, metonymy, oxymorons, similes, synecdoche and synesthesia.
