Zeugma / part of speech / pronunciation

A zeugma is a figure of speech involving the juxtaposition of two or more words, phrases, or images for the purpose of creating a new meaning. The following is an example of zeugma in action, i.e., someone expressing two thoughts in one sentence. "She spent her last dime and day on the job taking an extended lunch break."

We can use zeugmas to convey two or more thoughts at once as an interjection of humor into a conversation. People who use zeugmas in everyday conversation introduce a light-spirited communication style. Comedians are famously known for using zeugmas to relay stories of real-life tales and silly situations that tickle the funny bones of their audience members.

In a Sentence

The comedian became famous by using hilarious real-life zeugmas to describe silly and annoying things that happen in everyday life and winning over the hearts of audiences across the United States.

She spent hours coming up with the right combination of zeugmas to delight the audience at her upcoming TED Talk.

We often find that people who use zeugmas in everyday conversation have an excellent sense of humor.

Etymology

The word zeugma partially derives from the ancient Greek word "zygma," which means joining. There are other instances of zeugma found in Middle English and Medieval Latin. Zeugmas were first used in English around the 15th century and have been popular in our language since then.

Synonym

Trope, Syllepsis

Antonym

Relaxation, Decompression