metaphor
Americannoun
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Derived Forms
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Nouns
Etymology
Origin of metaphor
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin metaphora, from Greek metaphorá “a transfer,” akin to metaphérein “to transfer”; see meta-, -phore
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How does metaphor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you brag that "the world's your oyster," you're using a metaphor from Shakespeare, who knew a thing or two about figures of speech. Good writers know their way around a metaphor, where you make an analogy between two things to show how one resembles the other in some way. When a character from Shakespeare calls the world his oyster, that's his boastful way of saying that all the riches of the world are his for the taking, like plucking a pearl from an oyster shell. Shakespeare also wrote, "All the world's a stage." Oyster? Stage? Come on, Will, get your metaphors straight!
Vocabulary lists containing metaphor
Some Helpful Poetry Terms
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The story could act as a metaphor for the entire album.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
I also am not losing any sleep over Pirro’s employment status, and I’ve always believed that the pool story is—as my colleague Christina Cauterucci explained—useful more as a metaphor than as a policy issue.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
That is the last we see or hear of that dirty business, which might as well be a visual metaphor for this docuseries’ shortcomings.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
The potluck metaphor is more than a charming way to talk about food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
“The concept of chain links is a metaphor for unity between people,” Ama explains with a smile.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
"Game changer" is the i Paper's verdict as "Europe tackles Infantino" – continuing with the football metaphors.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Perhaps you can see how the metaphors between the backrooms and the internet itself multiply from here: Like the backrooms, one can lose oneself forever in the internet.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
Arnold uses different metaphors to describe his feelings about what lies between him and brother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
One of President Donald Trump's favorite metaphors is that he's got the cards -- that through the might of the United States and his own acumen he can overpower any adversary.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Though no writer can avoid idioms altogether—they’re part of the English lexicon, just like individual words—good writers reach for fresh similes and metaphors that keep the reader’s sensory cortexes lit up.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
