What Is a Trope? | Definition & Examples
A trope is a word or phrase that implies something other than its original meaning. Tropes use nonliteral language to convey a figurative meaning. They’re often used in literature, everyday language, and even things like advertising and political speeches.
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Trope meaning
A trope refers to a figure of speech, turn of phrase, or idea that carries a deeper meaning beyond its literal meaning. It is derived from the Greek word “tropos,” meaning “turn” or “direction.”
Different types of tropes include metaphors, similies, irony, synecdoche, and metonymy. We use them to convey specific and added layers of meaning, create imagery, and explore themes in new ways.
Tropes often contribute brevity to phrasing and act as shortcuts to convey more complex ideas, themes, or emotions. Repetition of tropes—such as irony, metaphors, and symbolism—creates patterns that readers can relate to.
Certain genres tend to have specific defining tropes. For example, fantasy literature often includes elements like epic quests, magical creatures, and ancient prophecies. Tropes can serve as a familiar foundation that is easier to build a story on. However, overusing tropes makes them predictable, at which point they are considered a cliché.
“Trope” initially referred to a figurative rhetorical expression, like a metaphor or irony. Over time, however, the word “trope” began to also include things like recurring themes, character types, or plot devices.
Trope examples
There are numerous types of tropes, but the main four are:
- Metaphor
- Metonymy
- Synecdoche
- Irony
Metaphor
A metaphor is a comparison of two seemingly unrelated things by saying one thing is another thing (e.g., “Life’s a beach”). It’s a use of symbolism where the writer compares two things on a deeper level to make the reader think abstractly. Metaphors are used in all types of language, from everyday speech to song lyrics and literature.
She’s a walking encyclopedia.
Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a word or term is used to replace or represent another closely related word or term (e.g., saying, “Steak is my favorite dish,” where dish replaces the word “meal” or “food”). Writers use metonymy to create vivid imagery, pack an emotional punch, or convey abstract concepts in a concise way.
Wall Street is worried about the drop in the stock market. [the American financial industry]
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a type of trope (and type of metonymy) where a part is used to represent a whole (e.g., “Nice wheels,” where “wheels” is used to refer to a car) or the opposite, where the whole is used to represent a part (e.g., “Germany won the match!”, where “Germany” is used to describe the German soccer team).
Can you lend a hand? [because a hand is part of the person]
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device in which the expectation or apparent meaning of a situation is different than the underlying meaning. It often highlights the contradiction by surprising the reader and prompting them to look more closely at the meaning (e.g., a fire station burning down).
A plumber fixes leaky faucets for work but has a leaky faucet at home.
Frequently asked questions about tropes
- What’s the difference between schemes and tropes?
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Schemes and tropes are both rhetorical devices but serve two different functions.
Tropes are related to the meaning of words (i.e., a word or phrase that has a different meaning to its intended meaning). Schemes are related to word order, syntax, sounds, and letters (i.e., sibilance and alliteration).
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with the perfect wording for using tropes in your writing.
- What is the difference between synecdoche and metonymy?
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Synecdoche and metonymy are both tropes that replace one word with another. While they are similar, they are distinctly different.
Synecdoche is when you use a part of something to refer to the whole (or vice versa), while metonymy uses a closely related word to replace another word.
For example, referring to a newspaper as “the paper” is synecdoche because the newspaper is made up of paper, while “the news” is metonymy because it is a word closely associated with “newspaper.”
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with synonyms to help you with using synecdoche in your writing.
- What is a synonym of trope?
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A synonym for trope is motif. Both refer to recurring elements such as symbolism, themes, or character types.
Two other similar terms are cliché, for overused and predictable tropes, and archetype, for universal character patterns.
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with the perfect wording for using tropes in your writing.
- What is semantic change?
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Semantic change is when the meaning of a word changes over time.
It can broaden where the definition becomes more inclusive, narrow where the definition becomes more specific, or it can shift the meaning entirely. For example, the word “awful” used to mean “worthy of awe” but now means “terrible.”
Scribbr’s free Grammar Checker can ensure you’re using the correct words in your writing.
- What are some common romance tropes?
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Some common romance tropes in literature and movies are:
- Second chance romance. When two characters are given a second chance at love.
- Friends-to-lovers. When two characters are friends for a long time before finally realizing their true feelings for each other.
- Love triangle. When one character is torn between feelings for two other characters.
Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you come up with the perfect wording for using romance tropes in your writing.
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Cove, R. (2025, January 09). What Is a Trope? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.scribbr.com/rhetoric/trope/
