What is a metaphor?

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.

We can use metaphors to compare something to something else:

e.g. The sahara is a sea of sand.

In this example, we can compare the huge Sahara desert of seemingly endless sand dunes to a huge ocean. In this case, it's made of sand and not water!

This is a figure of speech where objects may be used to symbolise emotion (e.g. he was over the moon.) This is a metaphor as when someone is over moon, they're really happy. Moon implies how high spirited someone may be.

A metaphor is a figure of speech used to compare two things that aren't alike but do have something in common. It can be used, for instance, in the poetry genre.

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 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.

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 figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. An example of a metaphor could be ‘my teacher is a dragon’.

A metaphor is a form of figurative language which uses comparison or association to achieve a higher scale of impact. Using metaphors within a text allows the writer to portray a specific picture in a quick manner.

A metaphor is used when something is explained as though it is taking the place of the subject in question, though it is an entirely different subject.

• e.g. He's buried in a sea of paperwork.

In this example, there is really no ‘sea’. There is a pile of paperwork so big that it may resemble a sea.

So, the metaphor here lies in the comparison between the huge pile of paper and it’s resemblance to a large body of water.