metaphor

Figure of speech using an analogy or close comparison between two things that are not normally treated as if they had anything in common. Metaphor is a common means of extending the uses and references of words. See also simile.

A metaphor is a simile expressed without any indication of comparison. For example, the simile ‘He fought like a lion’ would be expressed in a metaphor as ‘He was a lion in the fight.’ Similes include the comparative words ‘like’ or ‘as’; metaphors do not.

Imagery is a term covering metaphors, similes, and any other figures of speech that appeal to the senses. Metaphor is important in poetry and poetic prose, where its usefulness lies in its ability to compress description and convey original ideas.

A metaphor is a common means of extending the uses and references of words. People are often likened to animals, plants, or objects to indicate the opinion that they have similar qualities. Calling someone a ‘fox’ suggests that he or she has the reputed cunning of a fox; use of the same metaphor will then extend to describing someone as ‘foxy’, or saying ‘He really foxed them that time’, meaning that he tricked them.

Metaphors also appear in everyday phrases such as ‘a ray of hope’. Such a phrase may be used so often that it passes into the language, and ceases to be noticed as a metaphor.

Mixed metaphor occurs when the writer or speaker combines incongruous comparisons in the same sentence.