Question

What is the difference between idioms and hyperboles?

Answer 1

Hint: The figurative meanings of hyperbole and idioms are more significant than their literal meanings. Figurative language is the use of words in a non-traditional order and context to express a complex meaning, vivid writing, clarification, or evocative contrast. It employs a typical sentence to allude to something without expressly mentioning it.

Complete answer:
Hyperbole is a literary device in which excessive exaggeration is used to illustrate a case. If you thought, "Her intellect is the size of a pea," you'd be exaggerating her lack of intelligence. Another hyperbole insulting someone's age is "he is as old as the hills." Exaggeration is often used to provoke a satirical reaction, and the advertising industry is no exception.

An idiom is a word that has both a literal and figurative meaning but is only interpreted figuratively. Many non-native speakers struggle with idioms when they focus on the literal level first. "It's raining cats and dogs," for example, signifies heavy rain but not the cats and dogs falling from the sky.

What's the difference between "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" and "I'm eating humble pie"? The first is hyperbole, and the second is an idiom. Writers use literary instruments like hyperbole and idioms to reinforce their thoughts and engage with their readers. The difference between hyperbole and idioms is sometimes misunderstood by students. "Eating humble pie" is an example of an idiom, which is a word with many meanings. Hyperbole, or exaggeration, is when someone says something like "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

Note: The key distinction between figurative language and imagery would be that figurative language provides a context that is distinct from the literal meaning of words, while imagery is the use of symbolic language that activates the human senses.