Antonomasia Examples

Antonomasia - when a proper noun is used to stand for something that has a quality of it; or when a common term is used to stand for a person or proper noun because it expresses an attribute of that person or thing

1. Shakespeare - "The Bard"

2. A beautiful, virtuous woman - "Madonna" (the term Madonna is a reference to the Virgin Mary, which is why there is irony in the use of this name by the popular singer)

3. A classic beauty - "A Betty" (Betty Davis)

4. A lover - "Cassanova"

5. A smart, scientific person - "Einstein"

6. A wise person - "Solomon"

7. Napoleon - "The Little Corporal"

8. Elvis Presley - "The King of Rock"

9. Johnny Cash - "The Man in Black"