metaphorically

IPA/ˌmetəˈfɒrɪkli/
KK[mˌɛtəfˈɔrɪkli]IPA/ˌmetəˈfɔːrɪkli/

metaphorically — adverb

1. describing how a speaker or writer treats one thing as if it were another, on pu

1.adverbC1
Definition

describing how a speaker or writer treats one thing as if it were another, on purpose, to suggest shared qualities instead of stating the plain fact — for example, calling a fast runner 'a cheetah' or describing grief as 'a heavy stone in your chest'.

Example

Rohan was speaking metaphorically when he called the meeting a battlefield; nobody actually fought.

speak metaphorically + signalling figurative use to listeners

The poet uses the word 'shadow' metaphorically to mean the sad memory of a lost friend.

use [word] metaphorically to mean + decoding a poem's figurative term

Common collocations
  • speak metaphorically
  • metaphorically speaking
  • use X metaphorically
  • mean X metaphorically
  • metaphorically a [noun]
Synonyms
  • figuratively

    near-perfect synonym; slightly more formal and broader, covers any non-literal language including similes.

  • symbolically

    for actions or images that stand for something larger (e.g. a handshake symbolically ending a feud); narrower than 'metaphorically'.

  • allegorically

    when an entire story or scene represents another meaning; far heavier and more literary than 'metaphorically'.

Antonyms
  • literally

    the direct opposite — meaning exactly what the words say, with no comparison.

Grammar Patterns

metaphorically speaking

speak/talk metaphorically

use [word] metaphorically

Usage Note

Frequently appears as the fixed softener 'metaphorically speaking' to flag that the previous or following statement is a comparison, not a literal claim. Also common in 'use X metaphorically' when explaining how a writer or speaker borrows a concrete word for an abstract idea.

Common Mistakes

The vase broke metaphorically when she dropped it.
The vase broke literally when she dropped it.
'metaphorically' is the opposite of 'literally'; use it only when the action did NOT actually happen.
He cried metaphorically at the funeral.
He cried at the funeral.
describe real events with no adverb; reserve 'metaphorically' for figurative comparisons.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four adverbs mark language as non-literal, but they differ in scope and register. 'Metaphorically' and 'figuratively' overlap most closely; 'figuratively' is slightly more formal and covers any non-literal language including similes and idioms, while 'metaphorically' specifically signals a direct comparison (calling X a Y). 'Symbolically' applies when a concrete object or action stands for a larger abstract idea — a white dove symbolically representing peace, for example — and is common in art, ritual, and political commentary. 'Allegorically' is the heaviest of the four and almost only appears in literary criticism: an entire story or scene representing another meaning across its full length, as in Animal Farm read allegorically as a critique of revolution. In everyday speech, 'metaphorically speaking' is the natural softener; reserve 'allegorically' for extended literary readings.

metaphorically ↗figuratively ↗symbolicallyallegorically

Common collocations

Phrases

  • metaphorically speaking
  • speaking metaphorically
  • meant metaphorically
  • use X metaphorically

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the adverb-forming suffix '-ally' to the adjective 'metaphorical', which itself comes from 'metaphor'. 'Metaphor' entered English in the late 15th century from Old French 'metaphore', tracing back through Latin 'metaphora' to Greek 'metaphorá', literally a 'carrying across' — built from 'meta-' (across, beyond) plus 'pherein' (to carry). The underlying image is of meaning being carried from one thing to another.