Watch: Metaphors and similes
What are metaphors and similes?
JANINE: Big crowd in tonight, Jeff.
JEFF: Including Bob the superfan. Bob here has never actually seen Jess perform.
JANINE: Let’s help him picture her in his head - we can use metaphors and similes.
BOB: Huh?
JANINE: Ok so a metaphor is when we say something is something completely different, to help someone understand more about it.
JEFF: So for Jess, we could say…
JANINE: She is a star!
BOTH: Woah!
JANINE: Not an actual star, Bob.
JEFF: Or we could say…
JANINE: She’s dynamite.
JEFF: Oh, he’s done it again.
JANINE: Bob, not real dynamite. For similes, we use ‘as’ or ‘like’ to compare one thing to another.
JEFF: So for Jess we could say…
JANINE: She’s as fast as a cheetah.
JEFF: Or
JANINE: As graceful as a gazelle.
JEFF: Well today it’s power lifting. Ooh, that’s bound to hurt!
JANINE: Maybe we should have mentioned she’s as feeble as a mouse?
What is a metaphor?
A metaphor is a word or a phrase used to describe something as if it were something else.
For example:
- A wave of terror washed over him.
The terror isn't actually a wave, but a wave is a good way of describing the feeling.
- Jess is dynamite.
She's not made of dynamite, but it's a way to explain how exciting she is.
What is a simile?
A simile describes something by comparing it to something else using like or as:
- The snake moved like a ripple on a pond.
- It was as green as a lizard.
- Jess is as graceful as a gazelle.
Try using metaphors and similes to make your own poetry or other writing more descriptive and interesting.
Watch: Spotting metaphors and similies
Now watch the following clip of a man describing his encounter with the Loch Ness monster.
See if you can spot any similes or metaphors.
Listen to this man describe his encounter with the Loch Ness monster.
INTERVIEWER: So, Mr McCluskey, describe what happened.
MR MCCLUSKEY: It was this morning while I was strolling around the loch. The weather was glorious. The sun was beating down like a giant egg yolk in the blue frying pan of the sky.
INTERVIEWER: "It was sunny."
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye.
The water on the loch was as smooth and flat as a polished pane of glass.
INTERVIEWER: "The water was calm."
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye.
Suddenly there was a terrifying, gurgling, burbling sound, as if someone had pulled the plug on a thousand bathtubs.
INTERVIEWER: "There was a loud noise."
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye.
The water foamed and boiled as a monstrous, greeny-brown, oval head broke the surface of the water, with a long, windy neck that curved and dipped back into the water.
INTERVIEWER: "Green-brown head, long neck."
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye.
INTERVIEWER: Did you get a look at the body, sir?
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye. The creature rose up out of the water, as big as an oil tanker, with three enormous humps, each one the size of a wee mountain.
INTERVIEWER: "A big body."
INTERVIEWER: Did the creature make any noise?
MR MCCLUSKEY: Before it dived it thrashed the surface of the water with its tail. I thought someone had set off an explosion, the noise was that deafening.
INTERVIEWER: Then it disappeared?
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye. And within minutes the water was calm again, as calm and as smooth as…
INTERVIEWER: Thank you, sir. I think we've got all that.
INTERVIEWER (summarising): You were walking.MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye.
INTERVIEWER: It was sunny. The water was calm. There was a loud noise. A green creature appeared with a long neck and a body with three humps. It was very big. It made a noise with its tail and then it disappeared. Is that all?
MR MCCLUSKEY: Aye, it is. But some of it isnae.
INTERVIEWER: You've described what happened, but it doesn't seem very interesting.
MR MCCLUSKEY: My version was a lot more poetic.
INTERVIEWER: Yes, well, we don't use poetic language in police reports, sir. We just want the facts.
NARRATOR: Writers use poetic language to create strong images in the mind of the reader. Colourful adjectives describe what a creature may look like, but comparisons with similar things create an even stronger picture. Some writers make up their own words, called nonsense words, which can be more powerful.
Did you spot these similes?
The sun was 'like a giant egg yolk'.
The creature was 'as big as an oil tanker'.
How about this metaphor?
- The water 'foamed and boiled'.
Think: Did you prefer listening to the man's version of the story or the policeman's version? Can you explain why?
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Some similes are used a lot, like 'as cool as a cucumber' or 'as busy as a bee'.
Here are the start of some similes but they have not been finished. Write them out on paper, adding in the endings. You need to finish each simile so it makes sense.
For example: 'As sad as a child on Christmas Day' doesn't make sense as children are usually happy on Christmas day.
Instead you could say, 'As sad as a child who has dropped their ice cream'.
As happy as …
As busy as …
As quick as …
As tall as …
As lazy as …
As hungry as …
Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers! game
Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission.
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