Meaning & use
metaphors
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“metaphors” is a form of “metaphor”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
A way of speaking or writing in which you describe one thing as if it were another thing, to show a shared quality.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a metaphor' for one image, or 'metaphors' for several; often followed by 'for' when you name the idea it stands for.
Patterns
- a metaphor for something
- use a metaphor
- in a metaphor
- mix metaphors
The writer calls the city a jungle, using a metaphor for its danger and confusion.
Her teacher explained that 'time is money' is a common metaphor in English.
The poem is full of metaphors about light and darkness.
nouncountable
A single image or phrase used in this way, especially one that stands for an idea throughout a work.
Grammar: Countable and often used with 'the' when the image is already known: 'the metaphor of the journey'.
Patterns
- the metaphor of something
- extended metaphor
- a visual metaphor
The whole novel rests on the metaphor of a journey home.
The director uses the metaphor of a broken mirror to suggest a divided family.
Critics praised the central metaphor of the play.
Word forms
| singular | metaphor |
|---|
Common combinations
- a metaphor for
- The empty house became a metaphor for loneliness.
- use a metaphor
- Try to use a metaphor to make your description more vivid.
- mixed metaphor
- The speech had a mixed metaphor that confused the audience.
- extended metaphor
- The poet builds an extended metaphor across three stanzas.
- visual metaphor
- The film's visual metaphor of the caged bird is powerful.
Synonyms and how they differ
- image
- An 'image' is any picture-like description; a metaphor specifically says one thing is another.
- symbol
- A 'symbol' is an object that represents an idea; a metaphor is a way of speaking or writing, not the object itself.
- simile
- A 'simile' compares two things using 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor does not use those words.
Opposites
Word family
- metaphorical adjective
- Describing language that uses metaphor; not literal.
- metaphorically adverb
- In a way that uses metaphor; not literally.
Commonly confused: metaphors or simile?
metaphors vs simile
A simile says something is 'like' or 'as' something else; a metaphor says it is that thing. 'He is a lion' is a metaphor; 'He is like a lion' is a simile.
Practice
Which sentence uses a metaphor?
Choose one answer.
'The snow was a white blanket' calls the snow a blanket without using 'like' or 'as', so it is a metaphor. Option A uses 'like' and option D uses 'as', so those are similes. Option C is a literal description with no comparison.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “metaphors”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.