Comparison workshop
MetaphorversusSimileWhat's the Difference?
Metaphors and similes both compare unlike things figuratively so that qualities of one reshape how readers understand the other. A simile conventionally signals the comparison with a word such as like or as, while a metaphor states or implies the comparison more directly. The presence of like or as alone does not make a simile; the wording must actually compare unlike things figuratively.
Read the pair
Definitions at a Glance
First idea
Metaphor
A metaphor describes one thing as or through another without conventionally marking the comparison with like or as.
Second idea
Simile
A simile explicitly signals a figurative comparison between unlike things, commonly with like or as.
See the signal
Examples
Metaphor
By noon, the classroom was a furnace.
The room is identified with a furnace to transfer the qualities of oppressive heat and discomfort.
Doubt shadowed every answer he gave.
The verb shadowed metaphorically presents doubt as a presence that follows and darkens his responses.
Simile
By noon, the classroom felt like a furnace.
Like explicitly marks a figurative comparison between the hot classroom and a furnace.
Her questions spread through the meeting like ripples across water.
Like signals the comparison, while the expanding ripples clarify how the questions affected more people.
Test the wording
He works as a paramedic.
As identifies his literal role; it does not create a figurative comparison and therefore is not a simile.
Look more closely
Side-by-Side Comparison
- Shared mechanism
- MetaphorTransfers qualities across unlike domains through figurative comparison.
- SimileTransfers qualities across unlike domains through figurative comparison.
- Typical signal
- MetaphorUsually presents the comparison directly without a conventional comparison marker.
- SimileOften uses like, as, resembles, or another explicit comparison signal.
- Grammatical range
- MetaphorCan appear as an identification, verb, adjective, extended passage, or implied comparison.
- SimileCan use several explicit comparison structures; it is not limited to an as X as Y pattern.
- What to test
- MetaphorAsk which qualities move from the figurative source to the subject.
- SimileAsk whether the comparison marker connects genuinely unlike things figuratively.
- Common false positive
- MetaphorA literal classification such as A robin is a bird is not metaphorical.
- SimileLike in She looks like her sister may express literal resemblance rather than simile.
Read like an editor
How to Tell Them Apart
- Are two unlike things being compared figuratively rather than classified literally?
- Does a word such as like or as explicitly signal that comparison?
- What qualities of the comparison source are transferred to the subject?
- Would removing the comparison marker make the wording state or imply the identification directly?
Questions readers ask
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every sentence with like or as contain a simile?
No. The word must signal a figurative comparison between unlike things; literal resemblance, preference, role, and time expressions do not qualify.
Does every metaphor say one thing is another?
No. Metaphor can operate through verbs, adjectives, implied associations, or an extended pattern of language.
Can the same idea be written as either device?
Often yes. The classroom was a furnace is metaphor, while the classroom was like a furnace is simile; both transfer the furnace's heat to the room.