Definitions

Idioms are sayings that do not make sense by analysing each word, they only make sense when taken as a whole.

A cliché is an overused phrase. People don’t always like clichés because they are so overused.

A maxim is simply a phrase that’s used as a general rule of conduct to live by.

A metaphor is a figure of speech where two things are compared with one another WITHOUT using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’.

A parable is simply a short story, in prose or verse, in which there is either a moral or a spiritual lesson.

In English, a proverb is simply a statement that offers wisdom or life advice. Proverbs are found in all languages and cultures.

A simile is a figure of speech in the English language, where a) two things are being compared, and b) it features either the word ‘as’ or the word ‘like’.

An adage is a saying that conveys commonly accepted wisdom or a common observation.

Simply put, an allegory is a tale that conveys a complex, abstract, or difficult message by means of storytelling.

An aphorism is a concise statement of a principle or truth. Or in other words, a short clever saying.

An euphemism is basically an indirect word (or expression) substituted for another one that would normally be considered to be too blunt to use, especially...

An idiom is a phrase where you cannot decipher the meaning simply by knowing the meanings of the individual words included in the phrase.

A hyperbole is a figure of speech in which an exaggerated statement is used to emphasise something or add an effect.

In simple terms, irony is when the meaning or truth being conveyed is different or even opposite to what is being said or what is to be expected.

Slang is informal vocabulary which is not appropriate for formal circumstances. There are slang words and slang phrases.