1. A rhetorical device in which two words connected by a conjunction (usually 'and') are used to express a single idea, with one word modifying the other.
Usage: Plural of hendiadys; Literary and rhetorical term; Common in classical and poetic language

Examples

• The phrase 'nice and warm' is an example of hendiadysis, where 'nice' and 'warm' work together to express a single quality.
• In the expression 'by hook or by crook,' hendiadysis combines two methods into one unified idea.
• Shakespeare frequently used hendiadyses, such as 'sound and fury' in Macbeth.
• The phrase 'cease and desist' employs hendiadysis to emphasize a single command.
• Teachers often point out hendiadyses in classical literature to help students understand rhetorical techniques.
• The expression 'safe and sound' demonstrates how hendiadysis creates emphasis through paired words.