merism Definition
a figure of speech in which a single thing is referred to by a conventional phrase that enumerates several of its parts or lists several synonyms for it.
Using merism: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "merism" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The phrase 'young and old' is a merism that refers to all people.
Example
The merism 'heaven and earth' is used to refer to the entire universe.
Example
The merism 'lock, stock, and barrel' means everything.
merism Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for merism
- synecdoche
- rhetoric
- figure of speech
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Summary: merism in Brief
A 'merism' [ˈmɛrɪzəm] is a figure of speech where a single thing is referred to by a phrase that lists several of its parts or synonyms. Examples include 'young and old' to refer to all people and 'lock, stock, and barrel' to mean everything.
