Metaphor Definition with Examples: Types and List of Metaphors

Metaphors are an essential part of English, adding colour and depth to language. They’re particularly important in English proficiency exams like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and TOEIC, where understanding figurative language can enhance comprehension and expression. Take, for instance, the sentence, “She is the man of the house!” Here, the phrase means the woman takes on responsibilities typically associated with the “man of the house” as the primary decision-maker or breadwinner. It’s a common metaphor we encounter in everyday life, often without even noticing.

If you’re gearing up for English exams, this guide to common metaphors and their meanings can be a valuable resource. Let’s dive into some frequently used metaphors and understand their significance!

What is a Metaphor?

A metaphor (from the Greek word metaphora, meaning “to transfer”) is a powerful figure of speech that creates connections between two unrelated things, highlighting a shared quality without using words like “like” or “as.” By blending concepts creatively, metaphors emphasize certain descriptive qualities, allowing abstract ideas, behaviours, or feelings to be compared with something seemingly unrelated. For example, the “Time is a thief” suggests that time subtly steals moments from our lives, much like a thief would take valuables.

In language exams, mastering metaphors can significantly enhance both reading and speaking skills, as they frequently appear in passages, conversations, and prompts, enriching your understanding and expression.

Also Read: 200+ Most Commonly Used Idioms in English: Meaning and Examples

The best examples of abstract metaphors are seen in movies like the Oscar-winner Parasite, where the characters are attributed to the quality of leaching off wealth.

Types of Metaphors

Let’s dig deeper and look at the many types of metaphors, with a few common types of metaphors mentioned henceforth:

Implied Metaphor

An implied metaphor compares two things without naming one of the things. Here, we draw an implication by using the basic formula: A is B.

For example: 1. “Our soldiers were lions in the war.” This means the soldiers fought like lions.

2. “A woman barked a warning at her child.” This implies that the woman is compared to a dog.

Visual Metaphor

One of the most interesting types of metaphors, a visual metaphor, compares one thing to a visual image that suggests an association. Visual metaphors are frequently used in advertisements and movies to symbolise or depict a theme, feeling, etc.

For example, the following picture is a visual metaphor that suggests that the Earth is melting like an Ice Cream to indicate the effects of climate change and globalization.

Extended Metaphor

An extended metaphor extends over several lines in a poem, stanza, or passage. These extended metaphors build upon simple metaphors with figurative language and descriptive comparison.

For example, in the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, he compares two roads and life choices.

Metaphor Examples for Kids

In our initial years, our brains grasp concepts much faster than adults. teaching metaphors through creative examples can help children develop unique perspectives and understand concepts, ideas, and materials. If you want to teach the concept of metaphors to kids, you can use various creative metaphors that children can easily remember. Here are the best metaphor examples for kids.

Also Read: Idioms for Kids: 7 Best Idioms with Meaning and Example

Common Metaphor Examples with Usage

• Heart of stone: Cruel or stern nature
  My teacher has a heart of stone.
• The Zoo metaphor: Crowded and noisy
  The classroom turns into a zoo during recess.
• Time is money: The value of time is as important as money itself.
  Time is money, my friend!
• Tall tree: Taller in height, like a giant
  He is a tall tree.
• The wind screamed in his face while he was riding the bike.
  Meaning: The wind is compared with a scream to emphasize on how furiously it blew.
• Go for a walk or you’ll become a couch potato.
  Meaning: Here, the person is told that he/she will turn fat and bulgy like a potato if they avoid exercising.
• Her heart of stone was the result of the previous unfortunate events in her life.
  Meaning: In this sentence, the heart is symbolised by a stone, emphasizing on the lack of empathy she developed.
• Her mom warned her about the monsters in the world.
  Meaning: The denotation of the bad, wicked people is made by monsters.
• He was a diamond among the sea of glass.
  Meaning: The man (diamond) is said to be unique like a diamond among other ordinary men (sea of glass).
• You’re sitting on a winning lottery.
  Meaning: The term winning lottery is used to emphasize on a golden opportunity.
  

Also read: 100 Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences & Meanings

• He was a cheetah in the race.
  Meaning: The runner’s speed is attributed to the speed of a cheetah.

• You’ll be left in the dust.
  Meaning: Here leaving one in the dust, implies being left far behind.
• The professor was a guiding light for him.
  Meaning: The professor is compared with light, so as to help him pave his way easily.
• The curtains of life fell.
  Meaning: The phrase ‘curtains of life’ is compared to that of a show which has fallen, denoting that the person’s life is over.
• Life is a maze.
  Meaning: Life is being said to have its own navigation as you move ahead with surprises at every turn.
• There’s a rat among us.
  Meaning: Rats are said to be sneaky animals and are associated with betrayal.
• Her heart sank on hearing the terrible news.
  Meaning: The sinking of the heart is termed to emphasise on deep sorrow.
• Laughter is the best medicine.
  Meaning: Laughter is compared with medicine so as to help you heal or recover from an event.
• India’s culture is a salad bowl.
  Meaning: Salad bowl is a common cultural idea that reflects India’s multiple cultures, yet they all have their own individual identities.
• His heart was made of gold.
  Meaning: Here, gold is used to indicate abundance and generosity.
• She was drowning in grief.
  Meaning: Drowning is used to emphasize the amount of sorrow or problems in a person’s life.
• The mind is an ocean.
  Meaning: The mind is attributed to its endless capacity and to characterizing calmness.
• Her heart melts when she sees him.
  Meaning: The melting of the heart means to be sympathetic and compassionate.
• Your words cut deeper than a knife.
  Meaning: The phrase is used to emphasize the intensity of a certain hurtful speech.
• His lawyer is a shark.
  Meaning: The lawyer being compared to a shark means the implication of vicious or ruthless behaviour.
• He thinks that the world revolves around him.
  Meaning: Here, the ‘world revolving around someone’ is used to describe a self-centred person or behaviour.
• The mind is a computer.
  Meaning: The mechanisms of the computer are compared to the brain.
• Sarojini Naidu is the nightingale of India.
  Meaning: The attribution of poetry and a melodious voice is associated with the nightingale and, hence, the comparison.
• A friend is a treasure.
  Meaning: The friend is given the attributes of singular vs. plural nouns singular vs. plural nouns a treasure being precious and hard to find.
• Love is a rose.
  Meaning: Rose is used to characterize both- beauty and hardships (Petals and thorns).

Also Read: Parts of Speech: Learn Grammar the Right Way

Common Examples in Literature

Metaphors are used by authors, writers, speakers, and poets as interesting devices. They used such metaphors to emphasize an event, situation, or sensitive matter by using a much stronger concept fit for comparison.

Here are the most common metaphors in Literature:

• “Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.” – Robert Frost
• “Hold fast to dreams, For when dreams go
  Life is a barren field, Frozen with snow.” – Langston Hughes
• “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day.” William Shakespeare
• “Hope is the thing with feathers.” – Emily Dickinson
• “The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight-thirty and still light.” —Fault in Our Stars, John Green
• “Wishes are thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin and hurt us.”―A Face Like Glass, Frances Hardinge
• “Love is a battlefield.” – Pat Benatar
• “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” – William Shakespeare
• “Each friend represents a world in us.”– Anais Nin
• “If wits were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog.”―Fly by Night, Frances Hardinge

Common Metaphors of Life

We often say many metaphors in our everyday life and routine without even realising that we are using them. Here are the most common metaphors used in everyday life:

• Life is a race and we never realise that we are running towards nothing!
• He is the light of my life.
• For this whole year, this room has become my prison.
• Love is a fine wine!
• My heart’s a stereo and it beats for you!
• She is happy as a clam.
• My mind becomes an ocean with calm waves when I meditate.
• Yesterday was a roller-coaster!
• She was fit as a fiddle!
• Doesn’t matter, he is an old flame!

Examples in Poems

Many famous poets have used metaphors in their poems as they enhance the meaning of the poem. Here are some of the best poems that use metaphors:

• “All the world is a stage
  All men and women merely players”- As you Like It by William Shakespeare
• “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,”
  “And sorry I could not travel both
  And be one traveler”
  “I took the one less traveled by”- Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
• “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers”
  “. . . That perches in the soul
  And sings the tune without the words,”- Hope by Emily Dickinson

Simile and Metaphor

When exploring similes and metaphors, it’s crucial to understand their role in language, as they both enhance descriptions and make writing more engaging. Similes are direct comparisons, often using words like “like” or “as” to create vivid imagery. For example, “He ran like a cheetah” provides a clear visual connection in the reader’s mind. In contrast, metaphors make a more powerful impact by asserting that one thing is another, such as in the phrase, “He was a cheetah in the race,” which intensifies the comparison by making it more immersive.

While both literary devices enrich language, they differ in their depth and effect. Similes require the reader to actively make the connection between two concepts, while metaphors directly transfer attributes from one idea to another, creating a more immediate and striking image. Writers use these tools not only to capture attention but also to leave a lasting impression. An essential technique in SEO content writing to boost reader engagement and retention.

Is it a Metaphor or a Simile?

Check out below whether the given lines are metaphors or similes.

Life is like a box of chocolates.
This is a Simile

The world is your oyster
This is a Metaphor

Her mother was as sharp as a tack.
This is a Simile

His computer was a dinosaur.
This is a Metaphor

‘The simile is also a metaphor. The difference is but slight’.
– ‘Aristotle’ by Jonathan Barnes, 1984

Metaphor vs Analogy

While Metaphor and Analogy have the same type of usage, their purpose is different. A metaphor is poetically comparing something with something else, while an Analogy is comparing something with something else for an explanatory point.

Also Read: Reported Speech Rules With Exercises

Metaphors vs Similes Quiz PDF

Test your understanding of figurative language with our “Metaphors vs Similes Quiz PDF.” This quiz will help you distinguish between metaphors and similes.

FAQs on Metaphor

Hope these metaphors helped you explore some new terms. Metaphors are the most beautiful form of figurative speech which can help you communicate your thoughts and imaginations poetically. We hope this blog on Adjectival Nouns provided you with all the information. To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page, and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu.