Metaphors paint vivid pictures in the minds of listeners and readers, turning abstract ideas into tangible images that we can see, feel, and grasp. They bind together words and meanings in ways that add depth and colour to our communication.
In this article you will learn what a metaphor is and how a metaphor compares to similes, idioms, and hyperbole. You will also find a handy list of common examples of metaphors, as well as a selection of metaphors used in classic English literature and in song lyrics.
Then there’s a section in which metaphors are compared and contrasted to other figures of speech, such as similes, idioms, analogy, hyperbole, and personification. We’ll even throw in a comprehensive, handy FAQ section. By the end of the article, you’ll be sure to feel like an expert on the subject.
And without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
What is a metaphor?
A metaphor is a figure of speech where two things are compared with one another WITHOUT using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’.
(If you see or hear a comparison that uses the words ‘as’ or like’, then this is a simile rather than a metaphor.)
A metaphor can be a great way to help people imagine what you are trying to say, paint the audience a picture, if you will. They can be used in all forms of communication, including formal or informal circumstances, in speech or in writing, academic writing, creative writing and more. They can also be used to make a point, and can be used to persuade others of your opinion, or help you to sell products or services.
15 common examples of metaphors
Here are some common examples of metaphors:
- Light of my life – a person someone loves very much and who makes him or her happy
- Could sell sand in a dessert – a great salesperson
- Hit the nail on the head – to get something exactly right
- Caught red-handed – to get caught in the middle of doing something forbidden
- To pull someone’s leg – o lie to someone as a way to teasing them
- A dime a dozen – something is plentiful and freely available
- Wrap one’s head around something – to take time to understand a difficult, complicated or hard-to-believe concept
- To bite the bullet – to do something unpleasant quickly, so as to have it be over quickly
- To hit the sack – to go to bed
- Go back to the drawing board – to start all over again from the beginning
- Heart of gold – a way of describing someone who is very kind and considerate
- Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve – shows one’s feelings readily
- I was a million miles away – my mind was wandering
- Cover your bases – consider all possible outcomes
- Splitting hairs – paying too much attention to insignificant details
5 examples of metaphors in English classic literature
Here follows a selection of metaphors from literature:
- “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)
- “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players;” (from William Shakespeare’s As You Like It)
- Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate (from William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18)
- The night was a tide of darkness. (from Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd)
- Conscience is a man’s compass. (from Vincent Van Gogh)
5 examples of metaphors in contemporary pop song lyrics
See if you’ve heard these metaphors from popular songs:
- Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”: The wrecking ball is a symbol of the destructive power of love and heartbreak.
- Green Day – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”: This boulevard is a metaphor for loneliness and disillusionment in one’s journey through life.
- Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”: Keeping a poker face is used metaphorically to talk about hiding emotions and maintaining composure.
- Eminem – “Lose Yourself”: The metaphor of losing oneself in the music conveys the immersion and passion required to seize opportunity.
- Katy Perry – “Firework”: The metaphor of a firework illustrates the potential within everyone to shine brightly and explode with self-confidence.
Top tips on using metaphors in your speech and writing
On the whole, metaphors are suitable for both formal and informal conversation. But you must ensure that your audience will understand what it is you’re trying to say, because metaphors can sometimes be ambiguous, misleading or inappropriate if they are not clear, relevant, or respectful.
If you want to write a metaphor, first choose what the subject of the metaphor is going to be. This could be an object, character, or setting. Then, think about other things that share similar characteristics and how they are like the subject of your metaphor, and how you can express that in words.
However, you should always avoid using metaphors when writing something serious. Also, you should avoid using overused metaphors and cliches, especially for creative writing because they are sometimes seen as lacking in originality.
Sometimes, it can be better to use a simile for your comparison rather than a metaphor. For example when speaking with young children. Remember, just because a metaphor can be seen as more sophisticated, sometimes similes can be way more effective, and help you to make your point more clearly.
Metaphor vs simile
While metaphors and similes are both figures of speech that compare two things, there is a distinction to be made between the two. Similes always feature either the word ‘as’ or ‘like’, and metaphors don’t.
Metaphor vs analogy
While a metaphor is one way of saying that something is like something else, an analogy has a greater purpose. An analogy uses comparison to make some explanatory point or to lead to a logical conclusion. An analogy tends to be longer than a metaphor.
Metaphor vs hyperbole
A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to compare one thing with another, while a hyperbole is a figure of speech that features exaggeration. This means that some hyperboles can be metaphors, eg. ‘I was a million miles away’, but not all hyperboles are metaphors.
Metaphor vs idiom
A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to compare one thing with another, while an idiom is any phrase that has to be understood as a whole rather than looking at each word individually. This means that some idioms can be metaphors. However, not all idioms are metaphors.
Metaphor vs personification
Personification is similar to metaphors in that they are both used to compare two things with each other. Where they are different however is that personification is a comparison done by giving a non-living thing human characteristics.
FAQ
Can children understand metaphors?
Understanding metaphors can often be tricky for children until mid-childhood, but there have been studies that show that some children can understand metaphors at age four.
Can people with ASD understand metaphors?
Some people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can sometimes struggle with metaphors, but some do just fine. Children with ASD, however, can have considerable difficulty understanding non-literal forms of communication.
What is an overused metaphor called?
Dead metaphors are metaphors that have been so overused that they’ve lost their symbolic qualities. For example ‘beyond the pale’, which was once used in reference to a boundary fence, and going ‘hell for leather’ was once used in reference to horse riding.
Be careful not to confuse a dead metaphor with a cliche. A cliche is an overused phrase.
What is an extreme metaphor called?
Sometimes a metaphor can be extended far beyond a few words. Sometimes it can make up a whole paragraph or even a whole article or essay. This is called an extended or a sustained metaphor.
What words can you not use in a metaphor?
A metaphor will never use the words ‘as’ or ‘like’. Comparisons that use the words ‘as’ and ‘like’ are called similes.
What two words does a metaphor use?
Metaphors use the keywords ‘is’ or ‘are’ if they are comparing two nouns in the present tense or ‘was’ or ‘were’ when comparing them in the past tense, as opposed to similes, which use the words ‘as’ or ‘like’.
Why should we be careful when using metaphors?
Sometimes your audience might struggle to understand metaphors, for example when speaking with young children or with neurodivergent individuals, who might expect people to talk in predominantly literal terms.
Final word
So, to sum up, a metaphor is a figure of speech where two things are being compared. A metaphor is distinct from a simile in that similes are comparisons that always feature either the word ‘as’ or ‘like’, while metaphors do not.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about metaphors and how they can be distinct from other figures of speech. Why not bookmark this article to your browser for future reference? Then you’ll have top tips and the FAQ section at hand whenever you need it.
If you want to learn more, why not check out our article on Common examples of metaphors?