What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary technique whereby two unrelated things are compared in a direct manner, and without using ‘like’ or ‘as’. An example is ‘The sky is raging’

A metaphor is a literary technique and an example of figurative language. It is when you describe an object as something else e.g. 'You ain't nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time'. The woman Elvis addresses the song too is not literally a dog but by comparing her whining to that of a hound he creates a vivid image in the listener's imagination.

The metaphor is a literature tool or an instrument that uses when we need to compare something with something.

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two things by saying that one thing, often the subject of your story or poem, *is* another thing. An example might be, 'The man was a rabid dog.' The man is not actually a dog, but by saying that he is, the author is saying that he has many of the attributes of the dog (for example, wildness, unpredictability, violence).

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, highlighting a shared characteristic or quality between two seemingly unrelated concepts. Unlike a simile, which uses “like” or “as” to make a comparison (e.g., “as brave as a lion”), a metaphor directly equates two things, enhancing our understanding by creating vivid or emotional connections.

For example, consider the metaphor “time is money.” Here, time is equated to money, suggesting that both are valuable and finite resources that can be “spent,” “saved,” or “wasted.” This comparison doesn’t just decorate language—it shifts our perspective, making time feel like a precious currency we should use wisely.

Another powerful metaphor is “he has a heart of stone.” In this case, a person’s heart is described as “stone,” which conveys a sense of emotional coldness or unyielding resistance to empathy. Rather than saying someone is “uncaring,” this metaphor paints a vivid picture of a heart hardened to emotion, as if compassion simply cannot reach it.

Finally, “the world is a stage” is a metaphor that likens life to a theatrical play, with each person as an actor. It suggests that people often play roles, behaving according to social expectations rather than revealing their true selves. This metaphor captures the idea that much of life is performance, subtly influenced by the “audience” around us.

Through these comparisons, metaphors deepen our understanding, allowing us to grasp abstract or complex ideas by associating them with something more familiar. They make language both powerful and poetic, bridging the gap between thought and feeling.

Metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike but do have something in common.

Unlike a simile, where two things are compared directly using like or as, a metaphor's comparison is more indirect, usually made by stating something is something else.

We use context clues to make sure of the meaning.

Context clues - using words, sentences and meanings around a word, that you are not sure of, to figure out the meaning.

A metaphor is when the writer gives a description of something by saying it is the same as another thing. For example: “the sun was a football in the sky”. Is the sun really a football? No, but here the writer means the sun looked like a football. People often confuse a metaphor with a simile. A simile is when the writer says that something is LIKE another thing and a metaphor is when the writer is saying it actually IS another thing. You can remember the difference by thinking that a simile is similar and so a metaphor is.

Metaphor is the figure of speech that goes from the literal to the figurative meaning of a word and gives special features through an implied comparison, in which the specific terms are missing. For example, "A wave of terror washed over him." The terror isn't actually a wave, but a wave is a good way of describing the feeling.

• A metaphor is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison. Metaphors are used in communication to help illustrate or explain something by comparing it to something else. Some popular sayings are metaphors; an example would be: Hope is on the horizon. Hope is an intangible thing that doesn't live along the horizon. This metaphor indicates good things are in the future.

A metaphor is one kind of figurative language. It makes a direct comparison of two unlike things. You can tell the difference between a metaphor and a simile because a simile uses the words “like” or “as”, and

a metaphor does not. Metaphors often usually use a form of the verb “to be”. The verb can be in the past tense (was, were), the present tense (am, is, are), or future tense (will be). An example would be: The laundry was a mountain on the couch, and I had to fold it all!

Connecting the laundry to a mountain, something understood to be huge, emphasises the fact that the chore is a large one. 

A metaphor is a language device which says that one thing is something else, but literally it is not. For example: 'he has a heart of gold'. This cannot literally be true, but saying that his heart is made of gold creates a new meaning - he is very kind and compassionate.

This is a type of figurative language.

A figure of speech that highlights a similarity between two different things by stating that one thing is another.

A metaphor, like other word pictures, can be understood by identifying three elements: the topic that is being discussed, the image or concept that the topic is compared with, and the specific point of similarity between the two things being compared.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is used to an item or event that it does not actually refer to.

A metaphor is a figure of speech (so not factual or literal) used to make a point. For example, someone could be described as having a 'heart of gold'. Is their heart literally made of gold? No! But, it is used to describe someone who has a kind or good heart. Gold is valuable, and so is this person in this example.

A metaphor is a language technique used to emphasise the concept being written/spoken. This is done through the comparison of one entity to another e.g. "my son is a lion", implies that the son is brave as a lion as it is known for its bravery. Notably, this does not mean that the son is literally a lion. So a metaphor is just a figure of speech that helps emphasise the importance of things being talked about. For this reason it is often used in writing and in speech to help create more powerful sentences that really emphasise the importance of the points being made.