The same fifteen words as the cards above, written out in full — easy to scan, search or print.

a figure of speechB2phrase

Words or a phrase used in a way that is not literally true, to create a stronger effect.

When she said she had a million things to do, it was just a figure of speech.

a metaphorB2noun

A way of describing one thing as if it were another, to show what it is like.

Calling the exam season a marathon is a metaphor for how long and tiring it feels.

a simileB2noun

A comparison between two things that uses the word “like” or “as”.

“He ran as fast as the wind” is a simile, because it uses “as”.

imageryC1noun

Language that creates a picture in the reader’s or listener’s mind.

The poem’s imagery of frozen fields and grey skies made me feel cold.

literalB2adjective

Using words in their exact, basic meaning, without any extra or imaginative sense.

My little brother took the joke literally and looked for real butterflies in my stomach.

figurativeB2adjective

Used in an imaginative way, so the meaning is a picture rather than the exact words.

“Drowning in homework” is figurative; nobody is really underwater.

paint a pictureB2phrase

To describe something so clearly and vividly that the listener can imagine seeing it.

Her stories about the old school painted a picture of cold dormitories and strict teachers.

a verseB2noun

A single line, or a short section, of a poem.

Each student had to stand up and read one verse of the poem to the class.

a stanzaC1noun

A group of lines that forms one block of a poem, like a paragraph in prose.

The second stanza changes the mood of the poem completely.

an extended metaphorC1noun

A single comparison that continues through a whole poem, story or speech.

Her graduation speech was an extended metaphor comparing life to a long journey by sea.

carpe diemC1phrase

A Latin phrase meaning “seize the day”: take your chance now, because it may not come again.

He decided to book the trip immediately; carpe diem, as his teacher used to say.

lyricalC1adjective

Beautiful and expressive in a musical way, like poetry or song.

The director’s lyrical shots of the autumn countryside are a pleasure to watch.

galvanisingC1adjective

Making people suddenly want to take action or feel full of energy.

The captain’s galvanising speech got the whole team back on its feet.

earnestB2adjective

Completely serious and sincere, without joking.

He gave an earnest promise to work harder next term.

impassionedC1adjective

Expressed with very strong and obvious feeling.

She made an impassioned plea to keep the school library open.