Published on
August 11, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
January 30, 2025.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two unrelated things, typically by stating that one thing is another (e.g., “that chef is a magician”).
Metaphors can be used to create vivid imagery, exaggerate a characteristic or action, or express a complex idea.
Metaphors are commonly used in literature, advertising, and everyday speech.
Published on
August 4, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
February 5, 2025.
In rhetoric, a tautology is the unnecessary repetition of an idea using different words (e.g., “a free gift”).
Tautologies are often considered to be a stylistic fault that should be avoided. However, they can also be used effectively as a rhetorical device or figure of speech.
The term may also refer to a logical tautology: a statement that is true in all circumstances because it includes all possibilities (e.g., “it will snow tomorrow or it will not”).
Example: Rhetorical tautologiesMark is an unmarried bachelor.
In my opinion, I think it’s a good book.
The party was an unexpected surprise.
The boat will depreciate in value.
NoteThe term tautology is often used interchangeably with pleonasm.
Some sources try to make a distinction between the two: pleonasms repeat the inherent quality of a thing but may involve different parts of speech (e.g., “burning fire”), while tautologies involve synonyms (e.g., multiple adjectives with the same meaning: “a big, huge truck”). However, this distinction is rarely followed in practice.
