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The Daily Insight

What is a figurative language for kids

Author

Dylan Hughes

Published Feb 19, 2026

Figurative language is a word or phrase that does not have its normal everyday, literal meaning. It is used by the writer for the sake of comparison or dramatic effect. Authors use similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification to make their stories more interesting.

What is figurative language in easy words?

Figurative language is when you describe something by comparing it to something else. The words or phrases that are used don’t have a literal meaning. It uses metaphors, allusions, similes, hyperboles and other examples to help describe the object you are talking about.

What is figurative language in children's literature?

Figurative language is language that means something more than or other than what the words actually mean.

What is a figurative language example?

Figurative language adds the same kind of depth to our writing. So, instead of hearing the wind blow against your window tonight, perhaps you’ll hear the whisper of the wind as it calls out for you like a lover in the night (personification and simile, respectively).

What are 8 types of figurative language?

  • simile. a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.” …
  • metaphor. …
  • personification. …
  • hyperbole. …
  • Imagery. …
  • Alliteration. …
  • Onomatopoeia. …
  • idiom.

What are 3 examples of figurative language?

  • Simile.
  • Metaphor.
  • Personification.
  • Literary devices that heighten imagery, such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia.

What is figurative language KS2?

Figurative language uses words and ideas to suggest meaning and create mental images. We explain how children are taught to recognise and use figurative language in KS2 English, with definitions and examples of simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole and onomatopoeia.

What are the 7 figurative language?

Personification, onomatopoeia , Hyperbole, Alliteration, Simily, Idiom, Metaphor.

What are the 10 figurative language?

  • Simile.
  • Metaphor.
  • Personification.
  • Onomatopoeia.
  • Oxymoron.
  • Hyperbole.
  • Allusion.
  • Idiom.
How do I teach my child figurative language?
  1. Start Out of Context. Anytime I introduce my students to a new literary device, I like to give examples and teach them explicitly what it is. …
  2. Deeper Thinking with In-Context Learning. …
  3. Teaching Figurative Language through Poetry. …
  4. Independent Practice.
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What is a simile for kids?

Kids Definition of simile : a figure of speech comparing two unlike things using like or as “Their cheeks are like roses” is a simile. “Their cheeks are roses” is a metaphor.

What books use figurative language?

  • My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks: And Other Funny Family Portraits (Hardcover) …
  • Even More Parts (Paperback) …
  • Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story (Hardcover) …
  • My Best Friend Is As Sharp As a Pencil: And Other Funny Classroom Portraits (Hardcover)

How do you identify figurative language?

  1. Look for comparisons. Figurative language often rests on comparisons of two dissimilar objects or activities. …
  2. Give inanimate objects or abstract concepts human qualities. …
  3. Determine if the phrase or sentence could exist in the real world, or can be made sense of on a literal level.

What is the best way to teach figurative language?

Reading poetry that uses specific literary devices and discussing each instance within the text can be an effective teaching strategy. Try reading the following poems or songs that make use of various forms of figurative language to your child. As you read aloud, see if your child can find the literary device.

What is figurative language 7th grade?

Figurative language includes hyperbole, personification, metaphors, simile, and metaphor. It’s not meant to be taken literally, but we understand what it means. Figurative language is what makes writing come alive. It’s what breathes life into literal words.

What are all the types figurative language?

  • Simile.
  • Metaphor.
  • Personification.
  • Onomatopoeia.
  • Oxymoron.
  • Hyperbole.
  • Allusion.
  • Idiom.

Is rhyme a type of figurative language?

Answer and Explanation: Rhyme is not figurative language. Rhyme is one aspect of language, usually used in poetry, but it involves the sounds of words and has nothing to do with meanings of words. There are two types of rhymes.

What are the 6 types of figurative language definitions?

Figurative language is a rhetorical device that uses words in ways that are not literal but still manages to be meaningful. There are six different types of figurative language: simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, synecdoche, and onomatopoeia.

What is figurative language ks3?

Figurative language is when words or expressions are used to suggest a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.

What is figurative language KS2 BBC Bitesize?

Figurative language is a kind of descriptive language that doesn’t mean what it says literally. Here are some figurative language techniques that you might already know. Similes describe something by comparing it to something else, using like or as . For example: The grass was as green as an emerald.

What is a metaphor KS2 examples?

A metaphor is a word or a phrase used to describe something as if it were something else: For example, “A wave of terror washed over him.” The terror isn’t actually a wave, but a wave is a good way of describing the feeling. “Jess is dynamite.”

What are some examples of literal and figurative language?

Literal: it means what it says. The sky is full of dancing stars. Figurative: the sky seems to have very many twinkling stars in it, so many that they look like they are moving around using dance motions. The darkness surrounded them with a cold embrace.

What is figurative language quizlet?

figurative language. a word or phrase that departs from everyday literal language for the sake of comparison, emphasis, clarity, or freshness. imagery.

What are the 5 types of figurative language and their definitions?

  • Simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things and uses the words “like” or “as” and they are commonly used in everyday communication. …
  • Metaphor. A metaphor is a statement that compares two things that are not alike. …
  • Hyperbole. …
  • Personification. …
  • Synecdoche. …
  • Onomatopoeia.

What are similes examples?

  • You were as brave as a lion.
  • They fought like cats and dogs.
  • He is as funny as a barrel of monkeys.
  • This house is as clean as a whistle.
  • He is as strong as an ox.
  • Your explanation is as clear as mud.
  • Watching the show was like watching grass grow.

How do you make figurative language fun?

  1. Picture Books: Using picture books are a great way to introduce various types of figurative language to your students. …
  2. Simile Face-off: This is a fun activity that definitely requires a few rules before you can have fun! …
  3. Photo Figurative Language: …
  4. Videos:

What does the moon glowed like?

The moon glowed like a light bulb in the sky. Raindrops dripped down the window pane like icicles melting in the sun. Smoke floated on the air like candyfloss.

What are similes and metaphor?

While both similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons, the difference between similes and metaphors comes down to a word. Similes use the words like or as to compare things—“Life is like a box of chocolates.” In contrast, metaphors directly state a comparison—“Love is a battlefield.”

How do you teach a simile to 4th graders?

1: Introduce and teach similes and metaphors. Define them as clearly as possible. 3: Read picture book, stopping when you find the first few similes and metaphors, discuss and add them to your t-chart. 4: Continue reading; have students raise their hands when they notice any similes or metaphors.

How do you teach figurative language to third graders?

  1. Step 1: Identify and Define the Terms: Create Anchor Charts. …
  2. Step 2: Model Similes and Metaphors in Literature. …
  3. Step 3: Practice Identifying Smiles and Metaphors. …
  4. Step 4: Apply Similes and Metaphors in Writing.

What is a hyperbole example?

Hyperbole Definition There is exaggeration, and then there is exaggeration. That extreme kind of exaggeration in speech is the literary device known as hyperbole. Take this statement for example: I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse. In truth, you wouldn’t be able to eat a whole horse.