simile Definition
a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”.
Using simile: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "simile" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The poet used a simile to describe the sunset.
Example
Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, a classic example of a simile.
simile Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for simile
Phrases with simile
dead metaphor
a metaphor that has been used so often that the comparison is no longer vivid, as in 'the head of the table'
Example
The phrase 'the head of the table' is a dead metaphor because it has lost its original vividness.
a combination of two or more incompatible metaphors, which produces a ridiculous effect, as in 'he's boiling with rage and brimming with ideas'
Example
The sentence 'She broke the ice and took the bull by the horns' is an example of a mixed metaphor.
a metaphor that is developed over several lines or throughout an entire poem or work of literature
Example
In Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It,' the world is compared to a stage in an extended metaphor.
Origins of simile
from Latin 'similis', meaning 'like'
Summary: simile in Brief
A 'simile' [sim-uh-lee] is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' such as 'Her eyes sparkled like diamonds.' Other types of metaphors include 'dead metaphor,' which has lost its original vividness, 'mixed metaphor,' which combines incompatible metaphors, and 'extended metaphor,' which is developed over several lines or throughout an entire work of literature.
