Title: Figurative language | Definition of Figurative language at Dictionary.com
Headings: figurative language
figurative language
noun
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Content: Figurative language | Definition of Figurative language at Dictionary.com
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figurative language
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noun
language that contains or uses figures of speech, especially metaphors. QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "SITE," "CITE," AND "SIGHT"! Set your sights on wordy gold with this quiz on the commonly mixed up words "site," "cite," and sight"! Question 1 of 7
“Site” and “cite” derive from the same Latin root, “situs.” true
false
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Words nearby figurative language
figurante, figurate, figurate number, figuration, figurative, figurative language, figuratively, figure, figure and ground, figured, figured bass
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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What does figurative language mean? Figurative language is language that’s intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved. For this reason, the word figurative is often thought of as the opposite of literal, which refers to the strict meaning of words. For example, the literal meaning of it stinks is “it smells bad.” The figurative meaning of it stinks is “it’s terrible.” Figurative language uses figures of speech, which are expressions like metaphors, similes, idioms, and personification, among many others.