catachresis
/ˌkætəˈkriːsɪs/
noun
- The misuse or strained use of a word, either by mistake or for deliberate rhetorical effect, such as using a word in a way that is not normally correct.
- The author's catachresis of 'decimate' to mean 'destroy completely' confused some readers.
- Saying 'I could care less' when you mean you couldn't care less is a common catachresis.
- In poetry, catachresis can create powerful metaphors, like 'the voice of the trees.'