figurative language

Grammatical usage that departs from everyday factual, plain, or literal language and is considered poetic, imaginative, or ornamental. Figurative language, especially in literature, uses devices, such as irony, and figures of speech, such as simile, metaphor, and hyperbole. The figurative meaning of a word or phrase contrasts with its literal meaning, which is closer to its standard, dictionary definition.

Figurative language seeks to clarify and accentuate meaning by referencing a word or phrase in terms of something familiar to the audience, usually to achieve special meaning or effect; the use of irony, metaphor, simile, and hyperbole falls into this category. Using the simile ‘She ran like the wind’, for example, suggests qualities of natural speed, lightness, and unrestrained energy. Using a word's literal meaning relies on the reader's clear understanding and knowledge of its definition.