metaphor

metaphor — noun

1. language that compares two different things by saying one is the other, without

1.nounB2
Definition

language that compares two different things by saying one is the other, without using words such as 'like' or 'as' — for example, saying 'her voice was music' to describe a beautiful voice.

Example

Marta wrote 'the moon was a silver coin' as a metaphor for the night sky.

metaphor using 'was' to directly compare two things

In Eitan's novel, the broken fence became a metaphor for lost trust among the neighbours.

metaphor + 'for' to link concrete object to abstract idea

Common collocations
  • mixed metaphor
  • extended metaphor
  • metaphor for
  • metaphor of
Synonyms
  • figure of speech

    broader term that includes metaphor, simile, and other rhetorical devices

  • image

    a mental picture created by language, often through metaphor

  • trope

    more technical term used in literary analysis for any figurative or metaphorical use of language

Antonyms
  • literal statement

    language that means exactly what it says, with no comparison or figure of speech

  • simile

    a comparison that uses 'like' or 'as', unlike a metaphor which states the comparison directly

Grammar Patterns

metaphor for [something]

metaphor of [something]

Usage Note

Does NOT use connecting words such as 'like' or 'as' — those are characteristic of a simile, not a metaphor. Metaphors appear in both formal writing (poetry, speeches, academic texts) and casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

That poem uses a metaphor with the word like.
That poem uses a simile, because it compares two things using the word like.
A simile uses 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor does not.
The author used a metaphor saying the character was careful.
The author used a metaphor by saying the character was a hawk watching from above.
A metaphor must compare two different things directly, not describe something literally.

2. a person, activity, or object that people think of as representing a broader qua

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, activity, or object that people think of as representing a broader quality, idea, or situation — for example, seeing a crumbling wall as a metaphor for the end of a friendship.

Example

The empty house became a metaphor for Selim's loneliness after his move.

be + a metaphor for [abstract feeling]

Mauricio saw the flooded street as a metaphor for the growing chaos in his community.

see [object] as a metaphor for [abstract concept]

Common collocations
  • metaphor for
  • serve as a metaphor
  • become a metaphor
  • see as a metaphor
Synonyms
  • symbol

    something that stands for or represents something else, often more broadly than a metaphor

  • representation

    a thing that stands for or depicts something in a particular way

  • emblem

    a visible object that represents a quality or idea, often in a formal or conventional way

Grammar Patterns

be a metaphor for [something]

serve as a metaphor for [something]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a concrete thing (e.g. an empty house, a long journey, a garden). The broader idea it represents is typically introduced by 'for' or 'of'. Often used in literary analysis, film criticism, and political commentary.

Common Mistakes

The broken fence is a metaphor in the story.
The broken fence is a metaphor for the family's breakdown in the story.
A metaphor must represent something specific; state what the object stands for explicitly.

Word family

  • metaphorical
    adjB2
  • metaphorically
    advB2
  • metaphoric
    adjC1
  • metaphorize
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A metaphor, simile, and analogy all compare two things, but they differ in how direct the comparison is. A metaphor says one thing IS another ('her voice was music'), while a simile says one thing is LIKE or AS another ('her voice was like music'). An analogy is longer and explains the comparison in more detail, often over several sentences or a whole paragraph ('a heart is like a pump because it pushes blood through the body'). A symbol is different: it is a concrete object that stands for an abstract idea in a sustained way throughout a text (a dove symbolising peace), whereas a metaphor is typically a single comparison. For example, in class, Lan said 'my brain is a tangled mess' — that is a metaphor, not a simile or analogy.

metaphor ↗simileanalogy ↗symbol ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • metaphorically speaking

Phrases

  • as a metaphor
  • in a metaphor

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'metaphor' comes from ancient Greek 'metaphorá' (μεταφορά), meaning 'transfer' or 'carrying over'. The Greeks formed it from 'meta-' (meaning 'over, across') and 'pherein' (meaning 'to carry'). The idea behind the word is that meaning is 'carried across' from one thing to another — exactly what a metaphor does in language. It entered English through Latin 'metaphora' and French 'métaphore'.