Oxymoron and Hyperbole
Oxymoron and Hyperbole
Has someone ever told you that they were so hungry they could eat an elephant? Or maybe they told you that "Less is more". Both of these phrases are figures of speech or ways of saying something that are not meant to be taken literally.
When someone uses a phrase such as, "I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant," they are using a hyperbole. A hyperbole is an exaggeration. You use a hyperbole when you want something to seem more extreme than it actually is.
Phrases such as "Less is more" are called oxymorons. An oxymoron is a phrase that contains two or more words that seem to contradict one another, but actually lead to truth. An oxymoron is a type of paradox.
The practice questions and videos below will introduce you more to hyperbole and oxymoron.
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