Trivia Time

Which of the following is an example of a metaphor?

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metaphor

American  

[met-uh-fawr, -fer] / ˈmɛt əˌfɔr, -fər /

noun

• metaphors
  plural

1. 

   a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”

2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

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metaphor British  

/ ˈmɛtəfə, -ˌfɔː /

noun

1. a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance, for example he is a lion in battle Compare simile

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metaphor Cultural  

1. The comparison of one thing to another without the use of like or as: “A man is but a weak reed”; “The road was a ribbon of moonlight.” Metaphors are common in literature and expansive speech. (Compare simile.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• metaphoricalness
  noun
• metaphoric
  adjective
• metaphorical
  adjective
• metaphorically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• metaphors
  plural

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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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Compare meaning

How does metaphor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• allegory vs. metaphor

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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!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metaphor metaphors

The somatic metaphor has seized the punditry—the AI industry is tumbling forward uncontrollably at the hands of its private leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Food as metaphor goes all the way back to the fruit in the Garden of Eden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The house was a metaphor for the coldness of a relationship that’s faded and atrophied.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Hansen uses this as a metaphor for the “To Catch a Predator” conceit.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

“It’s a metaphor for the whole boarding school experience,” Jerome said.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"The proliferation of those struck me," Vara told Front Row, adding that the story also had a lot of metaphors, also prevalent in writing generated by AI.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

And I wasn’t entirely thrilled with “Backrooms” getting lost in the maze of its metaphors, either.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

Ads feature Leon guiding chief executives across mountains and rivers that double as metaphors for the risks posed by AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

"Game changer" is the i Paper's verdict as "Europe tackles Infantino" – continuing with the football metaphors.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

That’s called mixing your metaphors, and there’s more about it at the end of this chapter.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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Related Words

• analogy
• image
• symbol

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