Examples of Trope

A trope is simply a figure of speech. When using this literary device, you intend for the word or words to have a meaning that is different than the literal meaning. In other words, there is a shift from the literal meaning of a word or words to a non-literal meaning.

Types of Trope

There are many different types of tropes depending on how the meaning is changed. Here is a list of commonly used tropes with a description and examples of each. 

Hyperbole

This trope uses exaggeration to get its point across. Examples include:  

• He’s been here hundreds of times.
• I’ll die from embarrassment.
• She has tons of money. 

Irony

With irony, a word or words are taken in the opposite way from their literal meaning. Examples: 

• I just love doing dishes.
• Your explanation is clear as mud.
• That cloth is as smooth as sandpaper. 

Litotes

This trope understates to emphasize a point and is opposite to a hyperbole. Examples: 

• That’s not the worst idea.
• She’s not the most attractive person.
• I am not a happy camper. 

Metaphor

The metaphor compares two things that have very little in common but do share a trait or characteristic. It says something is something else to show what they have in common. Examples: 

• He is an ogre.
• You are my sunshine.
• This school is a zoo. 

Metonymy

With the metonymy trope, a word or phrase is substituted for another that is closely associated to it. Examples: 

• Man of the cloth
• Red letter day
• Big brother 

Oxymoron

The oxymoron literally means “sweet and sour” and uses words that contradict each other. Often, these are quite humorous. Examples: 

• Jumbo shrimp
• Organized mess
• Worried optimist

Personification

This trope gives human attributes to things that are not human. Examples: 

• The flowers nodded their heads.
• The pizza disagreed with me.
• The old car wheezed and complained. 

Pun

A pun repeats a word or phrase but means it in a different way. A good example is from Groucho Marx: 

• "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." 

Rhetorical Question

This is a question that you do not expect anyone to answer. Examples: 

• How did he get that job with no qualifications?
• When will they learn?
• How much longer will this last? 

Simile

This trope compares two things that have some things in common. Examples: 

• Blind as a bat
• Pretty like a flower
• Hard as a rock  

Synecdoche

This uses a part of something to represent the whole.  Examples: 

• "Friends, Romans, countrymen: lend me your ears"
• I just got a new set of wheels.
• The world is treating me nicely. 

Zeugma

This trope uses one verb with two or more words and each time there is a different meaning. Examples: 

• I left my heart and my luggage in San Francisco.
• He broke my heart and my car. 

Tropes vs. Schemes

Tropes and schemes are both figures of speech that add color and interest to language. These are devices that contribute to the style of the author and can help to get the point across. One way they do this is by appealing to the emotions of the recipient.

The main difference between a trope and a scheme is:

• A trope changes the meaning of an expression
• A scheme changes the order of the words

Often, a scheme will repeat a word or phrase several times for emphasis. A good example of scheme is the repetition of “I have a dream” in the famous speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.  This type of scheme is an anaphora.

So, now you know what tropes are and have some examples, and you should be able to both recognize them and use them in your own writing.