extended metaphor
Americannoun
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a metaphor introduced and then further developed throughout all or part of a literary work, especially a poem.
Robert Frost uses two roads as an extended metaphor in “The Road Not Taken.”
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a literary work that contains an extended metaphor.
Usage
What does extended metaphor mean? An extended metaphor is a metaphor in a literary work, such as a novel or poem, that isn’t just used in one line but is extended over multiple lines or throughout the work. A metaphor is the applying of a word or phrase to something that’s not literally related in order to suggest a resemblance, as in She’s a walking dictionary (she’s not literally a dictionary, but her vocabulary resembles one). Extended metaphors use this kind of comparison, but in a drawn-out and often complex way. When an author uses an extended metaphor, they will keep adding to it, developing it, or making reference to it. This can occur over more than one line, over multiple paragraphs, or even over the course of the entire work. Extended metaphors are especially found in poetry and novels, but they can also be used in song lyrics, movies, speeches, and even nonfiction—anywhere metaphors are used.
Etymology
Origin of extended metaphor
First recorded in 1710–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I brought a cupcake — vegan vanilla. Bet it tastes pretty rancid,” Lanier said during closings, brandishing the baked good during an extended metaphor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
Simply a cheerful extended metaphor over an updated take on the club-oriented R&B of a couple of decades ago, finished off with a tasteful Jersey club breakdown.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2022
The offensive remark came about 42 minutes into his comments, during an extended metaphor that compared responding to the coronavirus pandemic to dealing with both a tornado and a hurricane.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2022
In the other central conceit of “Pure Colour,” Mira and her father are paired as dual consciousnesses in a leaf, which functions as an extended metaphor for the interconnected entrapment of grief.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 16, 2022
Allegory in the sense of Quintilian as a trope, an extended metaphor, Wilson mentions only once.
From Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance A Study of Rhetorical Terms in English Renaissance Literary Criticism by Clark, Donald Lemen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
