English Vocabulary for ESL learners
SIMILES and METAPHORS
The difference between similes and metaphors.
Similes and
metaphors are both types of figurative analogies, comparing two things to show their similarities.
Sometimes the two things are quite alike. Sometimes they are very different
but share some common property or trait.
The difference between similes and metaphors lies in how the comparison is expressed.
A simile compares one thing to another using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
It states that one thing is similar to another.
A metaphor states that two things are the same, without using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
You will find some examples below.
| Examples of SIMILES | Examples of METAPHORS |
|---|---|
| As busy as a beaver | His home is a prison. |
| As blind as a bat. | My colleague is a dark horse. |
| As black as coal | Laughter is the best medicine. | As clean as a whistle | That boy is a rotten apple. |
| As flat as a pancake | You are an angel! |
| As innocent as a lamb | Our teacher is a dragon. |
| As old as the hills | Life is a series of stepping stones. |
| As plain as day | Time is money. |
| As quiet as a mouse | The actress is a star. |
| As steady as a rock | He's a bit of a rough diamond. |
| As stubborn as a mule | Charlie is a night owl. |
| As sly as a fox | Her brain is a computer. |
| As white as snow | Alex is a rolling stone. |
| As wise as an owl | Children can be clowns. |
| Eat like a bird | America is a melting pot. |
| Cry like a baby | His daughter is his sunshine. |
| Act like a child | That man is a road hog. |
| Fit like a glove | Julie is an early bird. |
| Sell like hot cakes | We finally got the green light. |
| Sleep like a log | The market is the heart of the town. |
| Spread like wildfire | Hard work is the key to success. |
| Swim like a fish | Life is a roller-coaster. |
| Behave like a lunatic. | His speech was a marathon. |
Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.