Identify the use of hyperbole. "I could eat a whole cow," is an example of hyperbole or extreme exaggeration. Statements that are obviously too dramatic to be true can be identified as hyperbole.
Use hyperbole to make a point. For instance, if you are really hungry, saying a statement about eating a whole cow, will indicate your need to eat a sizable quantity of food in the near future. The listener will know that you don't plan on actually eating an entire cow, the statement makes a emphasis on how hungry you are.
Incorporate hyperbole in a dull speech or boring essay to create imagery. The statements, "She told him a million times where to go," or "I will die if he doesn't take me to the movies," humorously makes an image of a woman nagging someone on where to go and an individual desperately wanting to go see a movie. Use an extreme exaggeration in a piece to create a mental chuckle and to make a point.
Blurt out onomatopoeia and see if anyone says "gesundheit" as if you were sneezing. Words such as "splat," "snap" or "crunch" describes a sound made movement, action or an object. These words can enliven a discussion or give sound to a written work.
Use onomatopoeia to bring life to your conversation. "Clank," "fizz," "bonk," "clatter," "dunk" and "flutter" are just a few words that can describe the sounds of something happening. Cut down on your verbiage and incorporate these words to help communicate sounds.
Make onomatopoeia illustrate your actions. As you talk, demonstrate "splat" means by smashing an imaginary bug against a hard surface. Or use "fizz" or "flutter" while waving your fingers to illustrate something light and airy.
Use a simile to brighten up or enliven written work or speeches. A simile uses the words "like" "than" or "as" to create a similarity between to characteristics that are somewhat alike in nature. "High as a kite," "blacker than night," or "fits like a glove" are common examples of similes.
Incorporate fresh similes in your speech. Overused similes can have a negative effect on your speech or text making it sound trite or cliche. Instead of using "quiet as a mouse" or other similarly commonly used simile, give it a new spin such as "quiet as a rabbit."
Put humor in your work by using sarcasm as a simile. "Clear as mud" or "as useful as a glass hammer" pokes fun at a situation. Mud is not clear, and a glass hammer will shatter when used. These similes create a mental image while telling the reader or listener how a thing or situation is not.