Which phenomenon describes describing one sense in terms of another?

• A. Synesthesia
• B. Metaphor
• C. Irony
• D. Hyperbole

Answer: (A)

Describing one sense in terms of another is synesthesia. This occurs when a sensory experience in one modality evokes a response in a different sensory modality, and poets often use it to create vivid, cross‑sensory images—like calling a sound “bright” or a color “tasting sweet.” It isn’t just a figure of speech; it blends senses to produce that immediate sense of fused perception.

Metaphor is a broader device that makes a direct comparison between unlike things without implying a real cross-sensory experience. Irony centers on a contrast between expectation and reality, not sensory blending. Hyperbole involves intentional exaggeration, not cross-sensory description.