Figurative language | Reading | Khan Academy

Figurative language involves using words or expressions with a meaning that is different from their literal interpretation. It allows for more descriptive and impactful communication, such as saying a 'bear of a lesson' to mean a difficult lesson, rather than an actual bear.

A simile is a comparison between two different things using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'my stomach was gurgling like a tar pit' or 'I was as hungry as a ravenous wolf' are similes that convey the intensity of hunger without being literally true.

A metaphor is also a comparison between two unlike things, but it does so without using 'like' or 'as'. Instead, it directly states that one thing is another, as in 'Love is a rose' or 'my stomach is a gurgling tar pit'. Context is crucial for understanding metaphors.

Personification is a type of figurative language where human characteristics are attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. Examples include 'The wind howled through the mountains' or 'The car grumbled,' giving human-like actions to non-human entities to convey their behavior.

Hyperbole is the use of extreme exaggeration to emphasize a point or express strong feeling. Statements like 'I'm going to read a million books' or 'eat a literal actual ton of hot dogs' are hyperboles designed to convey enthusiasm or intensity, even if literally impossible.

Allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. Examples include 'you'd have to be Superman to lift that fallen tree' or 'you have a Gollum-like obsession with that stuffed animal.' Allusions rely on the audience's shared cultural knowledge to be understood.