metaphorically
/ˌmetəˈfɒrɪkli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmetəˈfɔːrɪkli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌme-tə-ˈfȯr-i-k(ə-)lē -ˈfär-/ (ame, mw)
metaphorically — adverb
1. describing how a speaker or writer treats one thing as if it were another, on pu
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'.
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
Metaphorically speaking, finishing the marathon felt like climbing a mountain on Dahlia's tired legs.
When Tuan said the city was sleeping, he meant it metaphorically — the streets were empty and quiet.
The teacher explained that 'time is money' is meant metaphorically, not as a real exchange.
- 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'.
- literally
the direct opposite — meaning exactly what the words say, with no comparison.
文法句型
metaphorically speaking
speak/talk metaphorically
use [word] metaphorically
用法筆記
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.