What is the Difference Between Literal and Figurative Language?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between literal and figurative language lies in the way words are used to convey meaning.
Literal language uses words exactly according to their conventionally accepted meanings or denotation. It is the language that means exactly what it says without using comparison, overstatement, or understatement. For example, "The grass looks green" is a literal statement, as it describes the color of the grass without any comparison or exaggeration.
Figurative language deviates from the conventionally accepted definitions of words to convey a more complicated meaning or heightened effect. It uses comparison, overstatement, or understatement to create a more vivid or dramatic impression. Figurative language can take multiple forms, such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and personification. For example, "The grass looks like spiky green hair" is a figurative statement, as it compares the grass to spiky green hair to create a more vivid description.
In summary, the main differences between literal and figurative language are:
- Literal language uses words according to their exact meanings, without comparison or exaggeration.
- Figurative language deviates from the literal meanings of words to create a more vivid or dramatic effect, often using comparison, overstatement, or understatement.
Comparative Table: Literal vs Figurative Language
Here is a table comparing the differences between literal and figurative language:
| Feature | Literal Language | Figurative Language |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Language that means exactly what it says without using comparison, overstatement, or understatement. | Language that uses comparison, overstatement, or understatement to mean something other than the simple dictionary definitions of the words. |
| Purpose | Describes things directly and straightforwardly. | Conveys meaning using metaphors, hyperbole, puns, etc., to express emotions, creativity, and imagination. |
| Examples | - Grass looks green. - Sand feels rough. - The flower smells sweet. - Grasshoppers make a high-pitched noise. |
- The grass looks like spiky green hair (simile). - Sand is solid water (metaphor). - The flower has the sweetest smelling petals in the world (hyperbole). - Grasshoppers are fiddlers who play their legs (personification). |
In summary, literal language is used to describe things directly and straightforwardly, while figurative language uses comparison, overstatement, or understatement to convey a more complex meaning. Figurative language often involves the use of metaphors, hyperbole, puns, and other figures of speech to express emotions, creativity, and imagination.
- Literally vs Figuratively
- Literary Devices vs Figures of Speech
- Metaphor vs Simile
- Symbol vs Metaphor
- Language vs Literature
- Metaphor vs Analogy
- Metaphor vs Metonymy
- Metaphor vs Allegory
- Literary Devices vs Poetic Devices
- Metaphor vs Personification
- Conceit vs Metaphor
- Linguistics vs Literature
- Literary vs Literacy
- Language vs Literacy
- Language vs Linguistics
- Hyperbole vs Idiom
- Literature vs Fiction
- Technical Writing vs Literary Writing
- Art vs Literature