Simile

Origin

Latin simile, neuter of similis like. With the form simily

• 14th Century

Definitions

• 1: : a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as (as in cheeks like roses) — compare metaphor
• 2: Likeness, resemblance; similarity.
• 3: The likeness of a thing.

Description

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words "like", "as", or "than". Even though both similes and metaphors are forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas metaphors compare two things directly. For instance, a simile that compares a person with a bullet would go as follows: "Chris was a record-setting runner as fast as a speeding bullet." A metaphor might read something like, "When Chris ran, he was a speeding bullet racing along the track."

A mnemonic for a simile is that "a simile is similar or alike."

See also

• Analogy
• Metaphor