Meaning of paronomasia | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A pun or play on words.
   countable, rhetoric, uncountable
2. The use of puns.
   countable, rhetoric, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Oh, by the way, any attempt to present me with any kind of testimonial will result in stern measures. And when I say stern measures, I am indulging in a paronomasia, or play on words! Good night.”

“Ev’rywhere but at Norfolk, where talk of Passion far outweighs its Enactment,– indeed, the Sailors’ paronomasia for that wretched Place, is ‘No-Fuck’.”

“Paronomasia to the sense alludes, When words but little varied it includes.”

“[…] he gloomily regarded his new digital watch, faintly fascinated by the onward march of the square figures which turned one into the other with insolent ease, a kind of numerical paronomasia.”

CEFR level