What is a metaphor?

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.

It's imagery that says something is something else. For instance, "the smile on your mouth was the deadest thing". The smile, of course, isn't literally dead, but saying it is makes the image more vivid for the reader. Personification is, in fact, a type of metaphor.

Hi Lawrence! A metaphor is a stylistic device that compares two ideas that share certain qualities. For example, in the sentence "her teeth were lustrous pearls" there is a metaphor because the writer compares the teeth to pearls: they are both white and shiny.

Hi Lawrence! A metaphor is a literary device which is representative of something other than the subjects of the sentence. Usually, the detail of the metaphor literally cannot be applied to the situation and is simply impossible. For example, "Bob gave Molly a bear hug" is a metaphor because Bob does not literally give Molly a bear Hug, but rather he gives her a large and strong hug. It is physically impossible for Bob (as a human) to give Molly a bear hug because he is not a bear.

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 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 metaphor is an expression which describes an object or person by referring to something else, such as 'A heart of stone'.

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 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).

Hello Lawrence! Here’s the answer to your question;

Metaphor: A word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar.

Metaphors are a form of figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean something different from their literal definition. In the case of metaphors, the literal interpretation would often be pretty silly.

Some examples of how metaphors can be used include;

Work today was a nightmare!

Love is a battlefield.

You are my shining star.

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.

A metaphor is a figure of speech mostly used in literary works to refer to words or expressions that mean something different from their literary meaning. It is mostly used to make a direct similarity but actually, it's not what is it.

For example

She's as cute as a button.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something by saying it is something else. Let's take the example: 'You are my sunshine' now, unless the person saying this for some reason relies on you for vitamin D, what they most likely mean is that you bright them brightness, warmth, light- like the sun.

A metaphor is where you compare two things by saying something is something else.

For example in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says “Juliet is the sun”. Juliet is being compared to the sun as her beauty outshines other women and she is radiant.

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