Which figure of speech involves describing one sensory experience in terms of another, such as color described as loud?

• A. Synaesthesia
• B. Metaphor
• C. Irony
• D. Onomatopoeia

Answer: (A)

Synesthesia is a cross-sensory effect in language, where one sense is described using terms from another. Describing color as loud gives a visual impression a sound-quality, inviting you to experience sight and hearing together. This goes beyond a straightforward comparison because it deliberately blends senses, which is the hallmark of synesthesia. It isn’t about irony, which deals with expectations versus reality, or about onomatopoeia, which imitates actual sounds. It also isn’t just a plain metaphor that sticks to only one sense. So this example best fits synesthesia: a color described with a sound attribute to create a vivid, multi-sensory image.