But the use of like or as clearly indicates that a comparison is being made. Saying “The stars twinkled” doesn’t spark the imagination nearly as much as “The stars twinkled like diamonds.” Similes allow descriptions to be more concrete or better engage the senses-which makes the descriptions stand out more. Similes are generally used to make descriptions more vivid. But you can form similes in other ways, too: His temper is as furious as a thunderstorm or His temper is furious, much like a thunderstorm. The most basic form is X is like y, as in His temper is like a thunderstorm. This is typically done using the words like or as. What is a simile?Ī simile is a figure of speech in which two things are compared in a way that clearly indicates that a comparison is being made. Join us as we dig into how they work, explain how to tell them apart, and give you a treasure trove of examples. Similes and metaphors are two of the most common figures of speech-expressions that allow us to make comparisons, connections, and descriptions beyond literal ones. But do you know what makes a simile a simile and what makes a metaphor a metaphor? See what we did here? That first sentence uses a simile, and the second uses a metaphor. ![]() Understanding this difference-and knowing how to use both-can be a jewel in the crown of your writing, making your descriptions and comparisons more colorful and engaging. The difference between a metaphor and a simile is like the difference between precious metals and gems (both are valuable and useful, but one can take many more forms). The word metaphor is more broad and can also refer to a variety of ways of comparing or connecting different things, including those that don’t use words at all. A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things that does not use like or as: Her smile is sunshine. A simile is a comparison between two things that uses the word like or as: Her smile is as bright as sunshine.
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