Metaphor
Elementary School
Definition
A figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another to suggest a likeness, without using "like" or "as." For example, "Time is a thief" frames time as something that steals moments from us. Metaphors create vivid images and deepen meaning in writing.
Worked examples
"Her smile was sunshine breaking through the clouds."
The smile is directly called sunshine, creating a vivid image without using 'like' or 'as.'
"The classroom was a zoo during the substitute's lesson."
The classroom is described as a zoo to suggest chaos and noise, not literal animals.
Common mistakes
- "He ran like the wind" is a metaphor → "He was the wind" is a metaphor; "ran like the wind" is a simile Metaphors don't use 'like' or 'as' — those signal similes instead.
- "The car is red" is a metaphor because it describes the car → a metaphor compares two unlike things; literal descriptions aren't metaphors Metaphors suggest a likeness between different things, not state facts.
- any comparison is a metaphor → only figurative comparisons without 'like'/'as' are metaphors Literal comparisons and similes are different figures of speech.
Where you'll use it next
You'll identify metaphors when analyzing poems, novels, and speeches, and create your own metaphors to add depth and imagery to narrative, descriptive, and persuasive essays throughout high school English.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026