Metaphors

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech which compares two things without using the words “like” or “as”. Metaphors compare two different things that have something in common. Since they do not use the words “like” or “as” metaphors are different from similes. If you do not know what similes are click here.

Using metaphors

We use metaphors often when we speak. If your friend says, “That test was a piece of cake” that is a metaphor. He means the test was so easy that it was like eating a piece of cake. However, notice that your friend did not use the words “like” or “as” in the sentence. If I want to use a metaphor to describe how well John swims I can simply say, “John is a fish”. This means that John swims very well just like a fish. Again, notice that I did not use the words “like” or “as”.

Look at the metaphors below. What are they comparing? What do you think they mean?

1. His room is a pig pen.
2. This place is heaven.
3. Our teacher is a dragon.
4. The sea was an angry monster during the storm.
5. Tessa is an angel.
6. There was a flood of complaints about the new student.