In
rhetoric, antimetabole (/æntɪməˈtæbəliː/AN-ti-mə-TAB-ə-lee) is the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed order; for example, "I know what I like, and I like what I know". It is related to, and sometimes considered a special case of,
chiasmus.
An antimetabole can be predictive, because it is easy to reverse the terms. It may trigger deeper reflection than merely stating one half of the line.[1]
"I'm hoping that somebody pray for me, I'm praying that somebody hope for me." —
JID in the song "
Enemy"
"I pay my bills, and my bills are paid." —Amy Slaton-Halterman in an episode of 1000-lb Sisters
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” – Taylor Swift, “
Mastermind"
"Putin...wanted to see the Finlandization of NATO. I told [the President of Finland], he's...gonna get the Natoization of Finland." —
Joe Biden, in interview with Time Magazine[8]
Etymology
It is derived from the
Greekἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ), from ἀντί (antí, 'against, opposite') and μεταβολή (metabolḗ, 'turning about, change').