Definition: A word or phrase used in a non-literal sense as a rhetorical or literary technique, for a more vivid effect.

There are different types of figures of speech, such as:

Metaphors imply a resemblance between the figure of speech and the object, action, or feeling it describes. For example, “A wave of excitement swept over the crowd.”

Similes are comparisons using words such as “like” or “as.”  For example, “He is as brave as a lion”.

Personification is when an inanimate object or abstract quality is described as if it were alive. For example, “The wind whispered in the trees.”

Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for a stronger or more vivid effect. For example, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”