A Figure of Speech is a word or words used to create an effect, often where they do not have their original or literal meaning. If someone says that they are 'starving', they do not mean that they are in fact dying of hunger, but that they are very hungry. This is a simple example of a figure of speech, where the word is used to heighten or increase the state that they are describing. Figures of speech are refreshing and entertaining, adding humour to the dullness of speech and writing, however they do pose slight difficulty for non-native English speakers.
In this series of articles, you will learn about common figures of speech along with detailed meaning and examples. Each article discusses around 7-10 types of Figures of Speech.