Meaning & use
metamorphosis
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountablebiology
The process by which some animals, such as insects and frogs, change body shape completely as they grow into adults.
Grammar: Plural is metamorphoses; often followed by 'from' and 'into': the metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog.
Patterns
- metamorphosis from something into something
- undergo metamorphosis
A caterpillar goes through complete metamorphosis inside its cocoon.
Students watched the metamorphosis of tadpoles into frogs.
Dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with no pupa stage.
nouncountable or uncountablefigurative
A big, striking change in someone's or something's character, appearance or situation.
Grammar: Used figuratively for people and places: the town's metamorphosis.
Patterns
- metamorphosis into something
- a metamorphosis in something
Her metamorphosis from shy student to confident speaker surprised everyone.
The old factory district has undergone a metamorphosis into an arts quarter.
The band's metamorphosis took only two albums.
Word forms
| plural | metamorphoses |
|---|
Common combinations
- undergo metamorphosis
- Butterflies undergo metamorphosis in four stages.
- complete metamorphosis
- Beetles show complete metamorphosis.
- a remarkable metamorphosis
- The city has made a remarkable metamorphosis since the war.
- metamorphosis into
- The metamorphosis into an adult takes several weeks.
- stage of metamorphosis
- The pupa is the middle stage of metamorphosis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- transformation
- Transformation is the general word for any big change, whereas metamorphosis stresses a change of form, often natural.
- conversion
- Conversion implies changing something for a new purpose or belief rather than growth.
- evolution
- Evolution suggests slow, gradual development, while metamorphosis suggests a distinct and often rapid shift.
- makeover
- Makeover is informal and refers mainly to appearance.
Opposites
Word family
- metamorphose verb
- to change completely in form
- metamorphic adjective
- relating to change of form, as in metamorphic rock
- morph verb
- to change smoothly into something else, informal
- morphology noun
- the study of form or structure
Commonly confused: metamorphosis or metaphor?
metamorphosis vs metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech comparing two things, whereas a metamorphosis is an actual change of form.
Practice
Which animal is best known for metamorphosis?
Choose one answer.
A frog changes from a water-living tadpole into an adult in a metamorphosis. Horses, eagles and dolphins grow larger but keep the same basic body form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “metamorphosis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.