Antonomasia Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.9-10.4

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

This is a figure of speech that you will see used by authors to replace a proper noun with a descriptive word or phrase. This description often reflects an apparent or hidden quality of the person or thing that it may be used to describe. Shakespeare used this technique in many of his different works. It adds an element of intrigue to your audience especially when the quality it describes is not clear to see from the start. These worksheets will help students learn how to spot the use of antonomasia in literature and begin to use in their own writing.

Antonomasia Worksheets To Print:

Create One - Students will practice rewriting sentences to add an additional element of intrigue to it.

Point it Out - Underline when you see this technique being used in this series of sentences.

They're Famous - Match each famous individual to the correct use of this technique.

Holes In the Story - Choose a word from the box to complete each sentence.

Comic Books - Can you name the superhero(s) based on each antonomasia?

Create One - Read the description of each person. Can you think of an appropriate name change for them?

Frankenstein - We examine how Mary Shelley used this in her classic work.

Antonomasia vs. Archetypal - Compare and contrast the closely related concepts.

The Concept - We start from the ground floor with this literary technique.

How to Use It - This takes baby steps through the entire use of the process.

Classics - Explain the meaning of each well-known antonomasia.

Vs. Epithet - Differentiate between the closely related concepts.

Everyday Usage - For the next 24 hours, see if you can notice any examples of antonomasia. Listen to the people around you talking, to television shows or movies, song lyrics or the radio.

Make It Cool - We give you some everyday objects we would like you to apply this technique to.

Picture That - See if you can make these pictures seem more vibrant.

What Is Antonomasia?

Antonomasia is any sort of literary term where a descriptive phrase is used in place of a person's name. The term is derived from the Greek phrase antonomazein, which translates to 'to name differently.' In other words, it is a proper noun that is used to bring out a quality in something and use that as a name instead of the original name. They are often used to express any attributes that a person or a thing might have.


An antonomasia may be used when someone wants to add a certain degree of elegant variation to a piece of text. Using this technique can give a piece of content an elevated degree of sophistication and prevent the use of a name in a sentence. For example, when talking about a certain person, you can use their name once or twice, but it will begin to sound stale if you continue to use it repeatedly.
Furthermore, using an antonomasia will also make your content sound and read better because it will give an added depth to it.


Examples: To understand how antonomasia works, there are different examples out there to work with.


1) Characters


- In the DC comic book universe, Batman has been called The Dark Knight and The Caped Crusader, while Superman is known as The Man of steel.


- Popular Indian ruler Tipu Sultan was known as The Tiger of Mysore.


- Iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was known as The Master of Suspense.


- The antihero from Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, is known as The Mother of Dragons.


- The boy turned wizard turned hero Harry Potter is known as the boy who lived because he survived Lord Voldemort or 'He Who Must Not Be Named' death spell.


2) Real-life People


- Timeless author of many marvelous works of literature William Shakespeare is known as The Bard.


- Sporting superstar and cultural icon Babe Ruth were known as 'The Great Bambino' and Muhammad Ali the Boxer was known as 'The Greatest.'


- The Dictators Adolf Hitler and Francisco Franco were known as 'The Fuhrer' and 'El Caudillo' by the people they ruled over.


- Elvis Presley was aptly called 'The King,' and Madonna was conveniently named 'The Queen of Pop' and 'The Material Girl.'


3)Places


- New York City is famously named 'The Big Apple.'


- Mumbai is known as 'The City of Dreams'


- Paris is known as 'The City of Light'


- Venice has many names: La Serenissima, La Dominante, City of Water, City of Bridges, City of Masks, City of Canals, and Queen of the Adriatic.