malapropism
/ˈmæləprɒpɪzəm/
mistaken use of a word for a similar-sounding one
malapropism in a sentence
“Saying 'for all intensive purposes' instead of 'intents and purposes' is a malapropism.”
Origin of malapropism
French mal à propos ill-suited from the character Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775)
Related Words
metaphor
a direct comparison between two unlike things
metonymy
substituting the name of an attribute for the thing itself
motif
a recurring element that has symbolic significance
oxymoron
a combination of contradictory terms
parody
an imitation for comic effect or ridicule
pathos
a quality that evokes pity or sadness