English Meaning & Definitions
A play on words; a figure of speech involving a pun, typically using words that sound alike but have different meanings.
- “The comedian's routine relied heavily on clever paronomasia, leaving the audience groaning at every pun.”
- “Shakespeare often used paronomasia in his plays to create double entendres and witty dialogue.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “paronomasia”.
Derived from the Late Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek paronomasia, from paronomazein ('to name slightly differently'), formed from para- ('beside, alteration') + onomazein ('to name') from onoma ('name').
Think of 'parody' and 'name'—paronomasia is playing a parody with the names or sounds of words.
Frequently Asked Questions About “paronomasia”
1. What is the meaning of “paronomasia” in English?
In English, paronomasia (noun) is defined as: “A play on words; a figure of speech involving a pun, typically using words that sound alike but have different meanings.”.
2. How do you use “paronomasia” in a sentence?
“The comedian's routine relied heavily on clever paronomasia, leaving the audience groaning at every pun.”
3. What are English synonyms of “paronomasia”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “paronomasia”?
Derived from the Late Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek paronomasia, from paronomazein ('to name slightly differently'), formed from para- ('beside, alteration') + onomazein ('to name') from onoma ('name').
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