paronomasia

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/pæɹənɵˈmeɪzɪə//pæɹənɵˈmeɪʒə/

noun

A pun or play on words.

Similar
punpunningwordplay
OriginLatin paronomasia ← Ancient Greek παρονομασία →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounparonomasia (countable and uncountable, plural paronomasias)

plural paronomasias

  1. countablerhetoricuncountableA pun or play on words.

    Ev’rywhere but at Norfolk, where talk of Passion far outweighs its Enactment,– indeed, the Sailors’ paronomasia for that wretched Place, is ‘No-Fuck’.

    1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon
    1 more example

    Oh, by the way, any attempt to present me with any kind of testimonial will result in stern measures. And when I say stern measures, I am indulging in a paronomasia, or play on words! Good night.

    1936 Ian Hay: Housemaster. London Hodder & Stoughton p. 234
  2. countablerhetoricuncountableThe use of puns.

    Paronomasia to the sense alludes, When words but little varied it includes.

    1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Turns.] Paronomasia.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 88
    1 more example

    […] he gloomily regarded his new digital watch, faintly fascinated by the onward march of the square figures which turned one into the other with insolent ease, a kind of numerical paronomasia.

    1984, Anthony Burgess, Enderby's Dark Lady

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna humorous play on words

Similar
punpunningwordplay
Broader
funplaysport
Also see
play on wordspunpunnerypunningwordplay

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπαρονομασία“play upon words which sound alike”
  2. Latinparonomasia
  3. Englishparonomasia

From Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek παρονομασία (paronomasía, “play upon words which sound alike”), from παρα- (para-) + ὀνομασία (onomasía, “naming”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek παρονομασία
  • παρονομασία (paronomasía)a pun or play on words
Bulgarian каламбур, игра на думи
  • каламбур (kalambur)a pun or play on words
  • игра на думи (igra na dumi)a pun or play on words
Catalan paronomàsia
  • paronomàsiaa pun or play on words
Esperanto kalemburo, vortludo
  • kalemburoa pun or play on words
  • vortludoa pun or play on words
French paronomase
  • paronomasea pun or play on words
Italian paronomasia
  • paronomasiaa pun or play on words
Latin paronomasia
  • paronomasiaa pun or play on words
Polish annominacja, paronomazja
  • annominacjaa pun or play on words
  • paronomazjaa pun or play on words
Portuguese paronomásia
  • paronomásiaa pun or play on words
Spanish paronomasia, agnominación
  • paronomasiaa pun or play on words
  • agnominacióna pun or play on words
Swedish paranomasi
  • paranomasia pun or play on words
Tagalog paritugma
  • paritugmaa pun or play on words
Cite this entry
APA

paronomasia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paronomasia

MLA

“paronomasia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paronomasia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paronomasia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paronomasia.

Source: paronomasia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.