1. of, relating to, or involving catachresis; characterized by the misuse or strained application of a word or phrase
Usage: formal; literary; rhetoric

Examples

• The poet's catachrestic use of 'devouring time' personifies an abstract concept in an unconventional way.
• Critics noted the catachrestic language in the advertisement, where 'liquid gold' was used to describe cooking oil.
• His catachrestic metaphor comparing silence to a 'deafening roar' created an intentional paradox.
• The speaker employed catachrestic phrasing to make an emotional impact on the audience.
• Medieval texts often contained catachrestic expressions that modern readers find puzzling.