metaphor

/ˈmɛtəfɔɹ/

nounmet · a · phor

Think: “META + FOR” — a metaphor is a meaning that goes beyond (meta) the literal words, used FOR comparison.

Yes, it's metaphor. Remember the middle is **-a-**: **met-a-phor** (not *meta-phor* or *meto-phor*).

Definition

  1. nouna figure of speech that describes something by saying it is something else, to create a vivid comparison (without using “like” or “as”)

Examples

  • Her smile was a warm sunrise, a metaphor that made the description feel bright and hopeful.
  • In English class, we identified the metaphor in the poem and explained what it suggested.
  • Calling the busy city “a beehive” is a metaphor for constant activity.

Synonyms

figure of speechcomparisonsymbolimageanalogy

Antonyms

literal statement

Translations

ES metáforaPT metáforaFR métaphore

Common misspellings

metaformetaphurmetaphorhmetaphoremettaformetophormetaphormetaphor

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