Figurative language uses images, comparisons, or symbols to express ideas instead of stating them literally. It includes tools like metaphors, similes, and personification.
It comes from Latin “figurativus,” from “figura,” meaning “shape” or “form.” The word shifted from talking about actual shapes to mental pictures created by language.
When you say “I’m drowning in homework,” that’s figurative—you’re not literally underwater, but your mind pictures it. Our brains love these shortcuts so much that we barely notice how metaphorical everyday speech really is.
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