Welcome to Vocabulary Wednesday

~Words To Help You Write Better

Zeugma

A zeugma /ˈzüg-mə/ is a literary and rhetorical device where a single word—usually a verb or an adjective— is used to apply to two different nouns within the same sentence, often with different meanings.

Zeugmas connect two different meanings of the same word together to create interest and to surprise, delight, or confuse readers or listeners.

Writers use Zeugmas to
—create humour by mixing literal and figurative meanings of the same word
—tighten the sentence structure by putting two different thoughts into the same phrase
—highlight the connection between two distinct objects or actions

Examples of Zeugma

She lost her husband, her mind, and her job in that ill-fated month of August.
The tiny scruffy mutt was adept at getting on his nerves and his pristine white couch.

Zeugmas in literature

“He was alternately cudgeling his brains and his donkey, when, passing the workhouse, his eyes encountered the bill on the gate.”
—Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
—“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun”, William Shakespeare

“He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.”
The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien

Derived from the Ancient Greek word zeûgma, meaning “a yoking together”, Zeugmas were first used in the English language in the 15th Century.

Use zeugmas to elevate your writing. When you do so, post the links in the comments. Inspire us with your creativity!

If you find GRAMMARIAN ~ Zeugma interesting or useful, please share it forward.
“Knowledge shared is power multiplied” – Robert Noyce

To boost your word power, visit Vocabulary Wednesday. Read more, write better.