What is a figure of speech?
A figure of speech or a rhetoric or locution is a word or a single phrase that goes off the straightforward literal language. There are two main categories of figures of speech – the schemes and the tropes. A scheme refers to a figure of speech, which changes the normal arrangement of words in a standard sentence structure. On the other hand, a trope refers to the use of a word or a phrase in a way not intended by its normal signification. Thus, collectively tropes and schemes are referred to as the figures of speech. What is a hyperbole? Now that we know what figures of speech are, we can get into the details of what a hyperbole is. A hyperbole is a figure of speech used in the English language. The word hyperbole has its origin in the Greek language and means excess or exaggeration. By definition, a hyperbole is nothing but a trope composed of exaggerated words or ideals used for emphasis. Also described as the implied simile, hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are e