catachresis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Literary
Quick answer
What does “catachresis” mean?
The incorrect use of a word, especially by confusing it with a similar-sounding word.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The incorrect use of a word, especially by confusing it with a similar-sounding word; a strained or paradoxical metaphor.
A rhetorical figure in which a word is used in a way that significantly departs from its conventional meaning for effect, often resulting in a mixed metaphor or misuse. In critical theory, it can denote the necessary 'abuse' of language to name that which has no proper name.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally rare and specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly negative when describing an error; neutral to positive when discussed as a rhetorical strategy.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language. Used almost exclusively in academic literary, linguistic, or philosophical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “catachresis” in a Sentence
[Subject] commits/employs/uses catachresisThe term/example is a catachresisThis constitutes catachresisVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “catachresis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The poet is known to catachrestically wrench words from their common meanings.
American English
- He tends to catachrestize common idioms, creating confusing imagery.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, rhetoric, linguistics, and critical theory papers to analyse figurative language.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would sound highly pretentious.
Technical
A precise term in rhetoric and stylistics for classifying a type of figurative expression or error.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “catachresis”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “catachresis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “catachresis”
- Mispronouncing it as /ˌkætəˈkreɪsɪs/ (incorrect vowel in the final syllable).
- Confusing it with 'cataclysm' or 'catastrophe'.
- Using it to describe any simple mistake instead of a specific misuse or strained metaphor.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. In rhetoric, it can be a deliberate stylistic choice to create a striking or paradoxical image. In everyday usage, it typically refers to an unintentional error.
Malapropism is the humorous misuse of a word by confusion with a similar-sounding word (e.g., 'a pigment of the imagination'). Catachresis is broader, covering any misuse of a word or a severely strained metaphor, not necessarily based on sound similarity.
Shakespeare's line 'To take arms against a sea of troubles' (Hamlet) is often cited. One cannot literally take up arms against a sea, making it a paradoxical, catachrestic metaphor.
Almost never. It is a highly specialised academic term. Using it in casual conversation would likely confuse listeners and seem pretentious.
The incorrect use of a word, especially by confusing it with a similar-sounding word.
Catachresis is usually formal, academic, literary in register.
Catachresis: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkatəˈkriːsɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkætəˈkrisɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'A CAT Ate the CREScent roll, but that's the wrong word!' (Cat-a-cresis) to remember it's about using the wrong word.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A TOOL (misuse/abuse of tool); FIGURES OF SPEECH ARE DISTORTIONS (bending language).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the clearest example of catachresis?