metaphor

noun

met·a·phor | \ ˈme-tə-ˌfȯr

also -fər\

Definition of metaphor

1 : a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money) broadly : figurative language — compare simile

2 : an object, activity, or idea treated as a metaphor : symbol sense 2

Other Words from metaphor Synonyms What is metaphor? Simile vs. Metaphor Example Sentences Learn More about metaphor

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What is metaphor?

"You're a peach!" We've all heard the expression, and it's a good example of what we call metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase denoting one kind of object or action is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them: the person being addressed in "you're a peach" is being equated with a peach, with the suggestion being that the person is pleasing or delightful in the way that a peach is pleasing and delightful. A metaphor is an implied comparison, as in "the silk of the singer's voice," in contrast to the explicit comparison of the simile, which uses like or as, as in "a voice smooth like silk."

When we use metaphor, we make a leap beyond rational, ho-hum comparison to an identification or fusion of two objects, resulting in a new entity that has characteristics of both: the voice isn't like silk; it is silk. Many critics regard the making of metaphors as a system of thought antedating or bypassing logic. Metaphor is the fundamental language of poetry, although it is common on all levels and in all kinds of language.

Lots of common words we use every day were originally vivid images, although they exist now as dead metaphors whose original aptness has been lost. The word daisy, for example, comes from an Old English word meaning "day's eye." The ray-like appearance of the daisy, which opens and closes with the sun, is reminiscent of an eye that opens in the morning and closes at night. The expression time flies is also metaphorical, with time being identified with a bird.

In poetry a metaphor may perform varied functions, from noting simple similarity between things to evoking a broad set of associations; it may exist as a minor element, or it may be the central concept and controlling image of the poem. The metaphor of an iron horse for a train, for example, is the elaborate central concept of one of Emily Dickinson's poems—though neither iron horse nor train appears in the poem, the first and final stanzas of which are:

I like to see it lap the Miles—

And lick the Valleys up—

And stop to feed itself at Tanks—

And then—prodigious step

…

And neigh like Boanerges—

Then—prompter than a Star

Stop—docile and omnipotent

At it's own stable door—

A mixed metaphor is the linking of two or more elements that don't go together logically. It happens when the writer or speaker isn't being sensitive to the literal meaning of the words or to the falseness of the comparison being used. A mixed metaphor is often two metaphors sloppily mashed together as in, "the ball is in the court of public opinion," which joins "the ball is in your court" to "the court of public opinion."

A mixed metaphor may also be used with great effectiveness, however, as in Hamlet's speech:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

For strictly correct completion of the metaphor, sea should be replaced by a word like host. By using "sea of troubles," however, Shakespeare evokes the overwhelming nature of Hamlet's troubles.

Simile vs. Metaphor

Many people have trouble distinguishing between simile and metaphor. A glance at their Latin and Greek roots offers a simple way of telling these two closely-related figures of speech apart. Simile comes from the Latin word similis (meaning “similar, like”), which seems fitting, since the comparison indicated by a simile will typically contain the words as or like. Metaphor, on the other hand, comes from the Greek word metapherein (“to transfer”), which is also fitting, since a metaphor is used in place of something. “My love is like a red, red rose” is a simile, and “love is a rose” is a metaphor.

Examples of metaphor in a Sentence

You see, menudo is our chicken soup for the body and soul, our metaphor for bread-and-butter issues. — Joe Rodriguez, San Jose Mercury News, 20 May 2003 The hapless Humpty Dumpty often crops up as a metaphor for the second law of thermodynamics. — Charles Day, Physics Today, December 2002 Ben Strong, senior, football player, leader of the prayer group, the boy whose very name is a metaphor, has been besieged by the media for interviews. — Jayne Anne Phillips, Harper's, November 1998 The number of songs containing ambiguous metaphors and intriguing but obscure symbolism could be extended indefinitely. Still, … there are hollers, work songs, field songs, and blues whose meaning is really not subject to a great deal of interpretation. — Lawrence W. Levine, "The Concept of the New Negro," 1971, in The Unpredictable Past, 1993 “He was drowning in paperwork” is a metaphor in which having to deal with a lot of paperwork is being compared to drowning in an ocean of water. Her poems include many imaginative metaphors. a poet admired for her use of metaphor

Recent Examples on the Web

The strategy had resonance, since blood provides so many of our metaphors about family: blood ties, blood relations, blood is thicker than water, and so on. — Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, "The Paternity Reveal," 24 June 2019 The story of Harry and Meghan has become a metaphor for the state of multicultural Britain itself. — Afua Hirsch, Time, "What Meghan Markle Means to the World," 17 May 2018 Ren wrote, deploying the sort of military metaphors the formerPeople’s Liberation Army engineer is known for. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "Huawei Launches New A.I. Chip As Company Enters ‘Battle Mode’ To Survive," 23 Aug. 2019 An almost perfect metaphor for the film, which involves an actual surgical face swap and an intricate game of cat-and-mouse between an FBI agent and a criminal mastermind. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "Depth of Field: The Movie Poster Brexit Deserves," 22 Aug. 2019 The color and high-risk excitement of poker have made the language of the game one of the most pervasive metaphors in our language. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "English lays its cards on the table of our tongue," 27 July 2019 Orange Is the New Black might be big and overcrowded and a little too fond of obvious metaphors for its own good, but hey, so is humanity. — Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Orange Is the New Black," 27 July 2019 His dumpster fire ad is a play on one of the most overused metaphors on Twitter. — Adam Shaw, Fox News, "Dem candidate airs bizarre ‘dumpster fire’ ad," 19 June 2018 That opening ceremony choice left plenty of metaphors to choose from. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Russia's World Cup Opener Alters Its Narrative, Changes Its Outlook, Pleases Putin," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metaphor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for metaphor

metaphor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of metaphor

: a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar

: an object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else

See the full definition for metaphor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

metaphor

noun

met·a·phor | \ ˈme-tə-ˌfȯr

Kids Definition of metaphor

: a figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as “Their cheeks were roses” is a metaphor while “their cheeks were like roses” is a simile.

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metaphor

Definition of metaphor

Other Words from metaphor

Synonyms for metaphor

What is metaphor?

Simile vs. Metaphor

Examples of metaphor in a Sentence

First Known Use of metaphor

History and Etymology for metaphor

English Language Learners Definition of metaphor

Kids Definition of metaphor

metaphor

Definition of metaphor

Other Words from metaphor

Synonyms for metaphor

What is metaphor?

Simile vs. Metaphor

Examples of metaphor in a Sentence

First Known Use of metaphor

History and Etymology for metaphor

English Language Learners Definition of metaphor

Kids Definition of metaphor

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