Interpreting Figures of Speech in Context

People have been playing with language for thousands of years. Long before texting, memes, or TikTok, storytellers, playwrights, and everyday speakers discovered that words can do more than just report facts. They can joke, surprise, persuade, and even mean the opposite of what they literally say. Let's trace a few key moments in the long history of figures of speech.

So, the big question this lesson tackles is: When someone says something that isn't literally true — or plays with the sounds and meanings of words — how do you figure out what they really mean? That's what interpreting figures of speech in context is all about.

A figure of speech is any expression where the words are used in a non-literal (not word-for-word true) way to create a special effect. There are dozens of types, but this lesson zeroes in on the ones the Common Core standards highlight for 8th grade: verbal irony, puns, and a handful of closely related devices. Let's define each one clearly.

The diagram below shows how the figures of speech we've discussed relate to each other. Notice that they all live under the big umbrella of "Figurative Language" — language that goes beyond literal meaning. Some, like verbal irony and sarcasm, are closely related cousins. Others, like puns and hyperbole, work in very different ways.

As you can see, sarcasm is a subtype (a more specific version) of verbal irony. Meanwhile, hyperbole and understatement are basically opposites — one exaggerates while the other downplays. The golden rule connecting all of these is printed right on the diagram: context is everything. The same sentence can be literal in one situation and ironic in another. You always have to look at what's happening around the words.

When you come across a passage that might contain a figure of speech, you need a reliable strategy. Here's a four-step process you can use every time. Think of it as a detective checklist.

Let's see how those steps work with a quick example. Imagine a character in a novel gets a terrible haircut. Her best friend looks at her and says, "Oh, that's definitely your best look ever."

Step 1: Literally, the friend is saying the haircut looks great. Step 2: The context tells us the haircut is awful. Step 3: There's a mismatch — the words say "best" but the situation says "worst." Step 4: This is verbal irony (and probably sarcasm). The friend actually means the haircut looks bad.

Here's the cool part: this same four-step method works for every figure of speech, not just irony. For a pun, the "mismatch" in Step 3 is between two different meanings of the same word. For hyperbole, it's between the exaggerated claim and what's realistically true.

Now let's dig deeper into each figure of speech with examples and the context clues that help you recognize them. The table below is your quick-reference guide.

The spectrum above gives you a rough sense of how "far" each figure of speech drifts from the literal truth. Understatement is the closest — it's sort of true, just toned down. Hyperbole is the farthest — it blows something way out of proportion. Puns are unique because the literal meaning might still make sense; the humor comes from realizing there's a second meaning hiding behind the first.

Let's apply the four-step strategy to a passage from a story. Read the short paragraph below, then follow along as we interpret the figure of speech.

Notice how every step builds on the one before it. You read the words, then checked the surroundings, then noticed the gap, and finally labeled the device and explained its meaning. With practice, you'll start doing these steps almost automatically!

Figures of speech aren't always obvious. Some are almost impossible to miss, while others can fool even experienced readers. Let's compare what makes interpretation easy versus challenging.

One important limitation to remember: figures of speech are shaped by culture. A pun that works in English might not work in Spanish. Sarcasm is common in some cultures and considered rude in others. When you're reading literature from a different time period or culture, keep in mind that the figurative language might work differently than what you're used to.

The ability to interpret figures of speech is just the beginning. As you advance in ELA, you'll encounter more complex layers of figurative language. Here's a preview of what's ahead.

Here's the exciting part: every skill you practice now — spotting mismatches, reading context clues, naming devices — is the same skill you'll use in high school AP Literature, college writing courses, and even in real life when you analyze advertisements, political speeches, or social media posts. Figurative language is everywhere, and the better you are at decoding it, the more powerful a reader, writer, and thinker you become.

Test your skills with these five problems. They start easy and get progressively more challenging. Click "Show Answer" when you're ready to check your thinking.