What Is a Metonym? (with Examples)

What Is a Metonym? (with Examples)

A metonym is a word used in place of a closely related word. A metonym is a form of figurative language. Metonyms closely resemble metaphors, but the thing being represented by a metonym will be a close match. A metonym is often an attribute or a component part of the thing being represented.

Examples of Metonyms

Here are some examples of metonyms (shaded):
  • After college, he took to the bottle.
    • (The bottle is a metonym for alcohol.)
  • Downing Street supports the proposal.
    • (Downing Street is a metonym for the Prime Minister.)
  • The top brass is contesting the cuts.
    • (Top brass is a metonym for the senior officers.)
  • This is not how it will be portrayed by Fleet Street.
    • (Fleet Street is a metonym for the British national press.)
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See Also

What is figurative language? What are metaphors? What are similes? What are homonyms? What are palindromes? What are anagrams? Glossary of grammatical terms