paronomasia

Paronomasia is the technique of using a pun, or a joke based on multiple or possible meanings of words. Shakespeare was the king of paronomasia.

Most examples of paronomasia are funny, a clever play on words, although it's also used for emphasis in rhetoric or as a poetic device in literature. Newspaper and website headline writers are known for using paronomasia to catch readers' attention."Otter Devastation," for example, the headline on a story about environmental changes affecting otters, sounds like "utter devastation," a common news phrase. In Greek, paronomasia means "play upon similar-sounding words."

Definitions of paronomasia
  1. noun
    a humorous play on words
    synonyms: pun, punning, wordplay
    see moresee less
    type of:
    fun, play, sport
    verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously)
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Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing paronomasia

Imagery, Figures of Speech, and Tone

Rhetoric

You'll be able to express yourself with style once you learn these rhetorical devices and tropes. This vocabulary list covers a wide range of techniques used in formal speech and writing, from alliteration to zeugma. You'll master metonymy, investigate irony, understand understatement, and more.

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