Metaphor
Metaphor is a figure of speech that explains an idea or thought by making a comparison. It describes an action or an object in a way that isn’t literally true.
Figures of speech are used to grab readers attention. It brings the subject to life and makes complex ideas to be easily understood. One such figure of speech is metaphor.
Metaphor does not state that one thing is ‘like’ the another or acts as another, but proceeds as if the two things are one.
Simile uses the term “like”/ “as” when comparing two things.
Example:
Simile: She is like an angel.
Metaphor: She is an angel as she helps me with the daily chores.
In the first sentence, we say, “She is like an angel”, where I am comparing her with an angel using the word “like”. This is called a simile.
In the second sentence, I am directly implying her to an angel by saying, “She is an angel”. We are not using the word “like”, / “as”. This is called a metaphor.
A metaphor is an implied simile.
Metaphor highlight
Before we go into the examples, a quick tip / recap to remember simile and metaphor.
If the sentence contains like or as, it is a simile. When you write your own simile, use the words like or as to compare with animals or objects.
When you directly say or imply with an object or animal, it is a metaphor.
Let’s go into the examples for a deeper learning,
Metaphor examples
- 1. Metaphor: Life is a see-saw.
- Simile: Life is like a see- saw.
- 2. Metaphor: My home is a prison.
- Simile: My home is like a prison.
4. Metaphor: Your brain is a calculator.
Simile: Your brain is like a calculator.
5. Metaphor: Your brain is a computer.
Simile: Your brain is like a computer.
6. Metaphor: My town is a furnace.
Simile: My town is like a furnace.
7. Metaphor: She has a heart of stone.
Simile: Her heart is like a stone.
8. Metaphor: She has a heart of feather.
Simile: Her heart is like a feather.
9. Metaphor: He is a monster.
Simile: He is like a monster.
10. Metaphor: The eyes are the windows to the soul.
Simile: The eyes are like windows to the soul.
11. Metaphor: His hands were ice.
Simile: His hands were like ice.
12. Metaphor: My new shoe was a thorn.
Simile: My new shoes were like thorn.
13. Metaphor: My daughter is an angel as she helps me with the daily chores.
Simile: My daughter is like an angel.
14. Metaphor: We got in the car after an hour and it was a furnace.
Simile: We got in the car after an hour and it was like a furnace.
15. Metaphor: Her song was music to the ears.
Simile: Her song was like music to the ears.
16. Metaphor: The world is a stage.
Simile: The world is like a stage.
17. Metaphor: The windows are the eyes of a house.
Simile: The windows are like the eyes of a house.
18. Metaphor: Her hands are generous.
Simile: She is as generous as the queen.
19. Metaphor: Her eyes are kind.
Simile: She is as kind as my mother.
20. Metaphor: Her eyes are covetous.
Simile: She is as jealous as my neighbor.
21. Metaphor: Prayers are the pathway to success.
Simile: Prayers are like the pathway to success.
22. Metaphor: You are my sunshine.
Simile: You are like the sunshine to me.
23. Metaphor: You are my moon.
Simile: You are like the moonlight to me in my life.
24. Metaphor: She is a star.
Simile: She is like the star shining brightly.
25. Metaphor: Her room is a junkyard.
Simile: Her room is like the junkyard.
26. Metaphor: My friend is a snail.
Simile: My friend is like a snail.
27. Metaphor: She was a peacock after she won the award.
Simile: She was as proud as a peacock after she won the award.
28. Metaphor: He is a night owl.
Simile: He is like a night owl.
29. Metaphor: The whole school is a zoo.
Simile: The whole school was like a zoo.
30. Metaphor: Paul is a lion.
Simile: Paul is like a lion.
31. Metaphor: She is a log right now.
Simile: She is sleeping like a log.
32. Metaphor: You have a heart of gold.
Simile: You have a heart like gold.
33. Metaphor: My father is an early bird.
Simile: My father is like an early bird.
34. Metaphor: Sara was the black sheep of the team.
Simile: Sara was like the black sheep of the team.
35. Metaphor: My sister is a couch potato.
Simile: My sister is like a couch potato.
36. Metaphor: My son is the apple of my eye.
Simile: My son is like the apple of my eye.
37. Metaphor: The soldier had the heart of a lion.
Simile: The soldier had a heart like a lion.
38. Metaphor: Paul was a cheetah when his mother came to hit him.
Simile: Paul was like a cheetah when his mother came to hit him.
39. Metaphor: The snow was a white blanket.
Simile: The snow was like a white blanket.
40. Metaphor: Love is a rose with thorns.
Simile: Love is like a rose with thorns.
41. Metaphor: His words were knife cutting through my heart.
Simile: His words were like knife cutting through my heart.
42. Metaphor: My class leader is a walking encyclopedia.
Simile: My class leader is like a walking encyclopedia.
43. Metaphor: The sun was a bar of glittering gold.
Simile: The sun was like a bar of glittering gold.
44. Metaphor: He is a sleeping tiger.
Simile: He is like a sleeping tiger.
45. Metaphor: She has got some nerve.
Simile: She is brave like a lion.
46. Metaphor: The clouds are balls of cotton.
Simile: The clouds are like balls of cotton.
47. Metaphor: Time is money.
Simile: Time is like money.
48. Metaphor: My cousin is a cry baby.
Simile: My cousin is like a cry baby.
49. Metaphor: She is a pain in the neck.
Simile: She is like a pain in the neck.
50. Metaphor: My sister was a pig at lunch.
Simile: My sister was like a pig at lunch.
51. Metaphor: The fire roared to life.
Simile: The fire was like a huge furnace.
52. Metaphor: The girl was drowning in the sea of sorrows.
Simile: The girl was as sad as the clown.
53. Metaphor: The train screamed down the track.
Simile: The train was screaming like a new born baby.
54. Metaphor: She was a rock.
Simile: She was like a rock.
55. Metaphor: My dad is a teddy bear.
Simile: My dad is like a teddy bear.
Time for practice
Metaphor Worksheet
Have fun writing your own metaphors!
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