simile
/ˈsɪməli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɪməli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsi-mə-(ˌ)lē/ (ame, mw)
simile — noun
- similesingular
- similesplural
1. a phrase or sentence that compares two different things by using the word “like”
a phrase or sentence that compares two different things by using the word “like” or “as”, for example saying “she ran like the wind” or “he is as tall as a tree”
In class, Mrs. Chen asked the students to write a simile about their favourite season.
simile + about + [topic] — typical object
The poet's use of simile helped readers picture the storm as “a hungry wolf.”
use of simile + as + [quoted comparison]
Kwame compared his grandmother's hands to worn tree bark — a powerful simile.
Amara recognised the simile “as light as a feather” in the story she was reading.
When teaching figurative language, Dr. Okafor always begins with the simplest simile examples.
- comparison
broader category; simile is a specific type of comparison that uses ‘like’ or ‘as’
- figure of speech
hypernym; simile is one kind of figure of speech alongside metaphor, hyperbole, etc.
- metaphor
both compare two things, but metaphor does so without using ‘like’ or ‘as’
用法筆記
Simile is often confused with metaphor, which compares two things without using “like” or “as”. For example, “life is a journey” is a metaphor, while “life is like a journey” is a simile.