Simile
A comparison that uses 'like' or 'as' — 'my love is like a red, red rose'.
A simile is a comparison between two unlike things, usually introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Where a metaphor asserts an identity ('he is a lion'), a simile keeps the two things separate while pointing at the resemblance ('he fought like a lion').
Similes feel more measured than metaphors. They acknowledge that the comparison is a comparison. This is why journalism, scientific writing, and legal prose often prefer simile — it makes a claim about likeness without overstating it.
The best similes work because they bring two genuinely distant things into momentary contact. The worst are tired comparisons that no longer surprise — 'as cold as ice', 'as quiet as a mouse'.
“My love is like a red, red rose.”
Keep reading the glossary
A figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another.
Deliberate exaggeration for effect — not meant to be taken literally.
An indirect reference to another text, person, event, or work — often quoted.
The art of persuasive speaking and writing — the discipline behind every great quoted line.