metaphorical

American  

[met-uh-fawr-i-kuhl, -for-] / ˌmɛt əˈfɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈfɒr- /

Also metaphoric

adjective

1. involving, invoking, or intended to be taken as a metaphor, something used symbolically to represent something else, suggesting a comparison or resemblance.

   Our foreign policy blunder has given the insurgents a metaphorical green light to engage in violent tactics in pursuit of their imperial ambitions.

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Other Word Forms

• hypermetaphoric adjective
• hypermetaphorical adjective
• metaphorically adverb
• metaphoricalness noun
• nonmetaphoric adjective
• nonmetaphorical adjective
• semimetaphoric adjective
• semimetaphorical adjective
• submetaphoric adjective
• submetaphorical adjective

Etymology

Origin of metaphorical

First recorded in 1560–70; metaphor ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

Explanation

Something is metaphorical when you use it to stand for, or symbolize, another thing. For example, a dark sky in a poem might be a metaphorical representation of sadness. You'll find yourself using the adjective metaphorical all the time if you take a poetry class; poems are usually full of metaphors. People use metaphorical language in everyday speech too, like when you say something like, "My brain is foggy today." Metaphorical comes from the Greek word meaning "a transfer," metaphora, which is itself made up of meta, "over," and pherein, "to carry."

Example Sentences

But with oil returning to the $100 precipice, private credit markets beset by liquidity concerns, and bond investors back on inflation watch, it may not be long before the metaphorical dams start leaking.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

It’s “a metaphorical escape from the Great Depression to an Edenic place where the rules of supply and demand do not apply.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Tonally limber, this crowd-pleaser is made of slow-motion sequins and plenty of scenes of the increasingly off-balance Kikuchi tripping over her metaphorical feet.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

Morgan is caught in a dilemma of when to land her metaphorical punches.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Mr. Reed tells students they have to interview someone—a mother or father or grandparent—about their own portages, the moments in their lives when they’ve had to take a journey, literal or metaphorical.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• allegorical
• descriptive
• metaphoric
• symbolic