Name That Type
The stars winked at her from across the dark sky.
What type of figurative language is this?
Answer: Personification — the stars are given the human action of winking.
She has been burning the midnight oil all week studying for finals.
What does this idiom mean?
Answer: She has been staying up very late to study and work hard.
The wind howled like a wolf all night keeping the whole neighborhood awake.
Find the figurative language and name the type.
Answer: Like a wolf — simile. The wind is compared to a wolf using the word like.
Her laugh was like bells ringing on a cold winter morning.
What type of figurative language is this?
Answer: Simile — her laugh is compared to bells using the word like.
The test was as easy as pie.
What does this simile mean?
Answer: The test was very easy.
Noah felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders before the big game.
Find the figurative language and name the type.
Answer: Carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders — idiom or hyperbole. It means he felt under tremendous pressure and stress.
I have been waiting for this pizza for approximately one thousand years.
What type of figurative language is this?
Answer: Hyperbole — an extreme exaggeration to show the wait felt very long.
I am so tired I could sleep for a thousand years.
Is this literally true? What does it really mean?
Answer: No it is not literal. It is a hyperbole meaning the speaker is extremely tired.
The old clock on the wall watched over the family through every holiday, every argument, and every quiet evening for forty years.
Find the figurative language and name the type.
Answer: Watched over the family — personification. The clock is given the human quality of watching over the family.
Life is a journey full of unexpected detours.
What type of figurative language is this?
Answer: Metaphor — life is directly called a journey without using like or as.
The angry waves attacked the shore all night long.
What human quality are the waves being given and what feeling does this create for the reader?
Answer: The waves are given the human action of attacking which creates a feeling of power, danger, and intensity.
The math test was a monster and her pencil trembled like a leaf in the wind.
Find TWO examples of figurative language and name both types.
Answer: The math test was a monster — metaphor. Her pencil trembled like a leaf — simile.
After their big fight the two sisters finally decided to let bygones be bygones.
What type of figurative language is this and what does it mean?
Answer: Idiom — let bygones be bygones means to forgive the past and move forward without holding grudges.
Her heart was a locked box that nobody had ever found the key to.
What does this metaphor mean about the character?
Answer: She is emotionally closed off and does not let people in easily — her feelings are hidden and hard to access just like something locked in a box.
The sun kissed the tops of the mountains good morning as the valley below slowly opened its sleepy eyes to greet the new day.
Find as many examples of figurative language as you can and name the type of each.
Answer: The sun kissed the mountains good morning — personification. The valley opened its sleepy eyes — personification. Greet the new day — personification.