simile

[ sim-uh-lee ]
See synonyms for: similesimiles on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”: Compare metaphor.

  2. an instance of such a figure of speech or a use of words exemplifying it.

Origin of simile

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “image, likeness, comparison,” noun use of neuter of similis similar

Words that may be confused with simile

Words Nearby simile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use simile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for simile

simile

/ (ˈsɪmɪlɪ) /


noun
  1. a figure of speech that expresses the resemblance of one thing to another of a different category, usually introduced by as or like: Compare metaphor

Origin of simile

1
C14: from Latin simile something similar, from similis like

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for simile

simile

[ (sim-uh-lee) ]


A common figure of speech that explicitly compares two things usually considered different. Most similes are introduced by like or as: “The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.” (Compare metaphor.)

Notes for simile

Some similes, such as “sleeping like a log,” have become clichés.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.