What is zeugma in simple words?

Zeugma is when one word, usually a verb, connects to two other words but means something different with each. In “She lost her keys and her temper,” lost is literal with keys and figurative with temper.

How do you pronounce zeugma?

Say ZOOG-muh, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈzuːɡ.mə/. The plural is zeugmas or, more formally, zeugmata (ZOOG-muh-tuh). The word comes from Greek and means “a yoking together.”

What is the difference between zeugma and syllepsis?

Writers on rhetoric don’t agree. Some use the terms as synonyms. Others use syllepsis for the meaning-shift type and zeugma for a word that fits only one partner grammatically. Most dictionaries accept zeugma for both.

What is a famous example of zeugma?

In Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock (1714), a woman might “stain her honour, or her new brocade.” The verb stain works literally with the fabric and figuratively with her reputation, which makes the line comic.

Is zeugma a grammar mistake?

It can be. A deliberate zeugma is wordplay. An accidental one, such as “She ate a sandwich and a cup of coffee,” is a mistake, because you drink coffee. Fix it by adding the right verb.

Why do writers use zeugma?

It is short, witty and surprising. The reader expects one meaning, meets a second one, and has to rethink the sentence. Writers use it for humor, irony or to link a small event with a big one.

Word Games Pro · Verified word lists

Words Containing NM: Complete A–Z List — Page 5

Browse Words Containing NM: Complete A–Z List. 183 verified words with definitions, Scrabble scores and links to full dictionary entries. Page 5 of 5.

183 verified words

Page 5 of 5

Sort words

11 Letter Words

unmotivated 11 letters · 17 points without motivation
unmotorised 11 letters · 14 points having no motor
unmotorized 11 letters · 23 points having no motor
unmusically 11 letters · 18 points in an unmusical manner
unmutilated 11 letters · 14 points free from physical or moral spots or stains
westernmost 11 letters · 16 points farthest to the west

Words Containing NM: Complete A–Z List — Page 5

11 Letter Words

Explore More Words

About

Explore

Popular Tools

Popular Games

Quick Links