# simile

/sˈɪmɪlˌi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/simile
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. rhetorical comparison

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

a phrase that compares one thing to another using 'like' or 'as' to make a description more vivid.

For teachers: a figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, typically using the particles 'like' or 'as' to create a vivid image.

- The phrase 'as brave as a lion' is a common simile used to describe courage.
- The author employs a striking simile, comparing the character's sudden realization to a flash of lightning in a dark forest.

Usage: Commonly used in literary analysis and creative writing to distinguish from metaphors.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'metaphor'; remind them that a simile is a 'similar' comparison that uses 'like' or 'as'.

### 2. likeness or resemblance

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

the quality of being similar to something else.

For teachers: the state or quality of being similar; a resemblance or likeness between two entities.

- There was a strange simile between the two brothers, though they were not twins.
- The philosopher argued that there was a fundamental simile between the structure of the atom and the solar system.

Usage: Often used in abstract or philosophical contexts regarding the nature of two things.

Teaching tip: This sense is rare in modern speech; students will mostly encounter it in older literature or formal academic essays.

## Examples

- "As brave as a lion" is a very common simile.
- The author used a clever simile to describe the cold wind, comparing it to a sharp knife slicing through the trees.
- In his poetry, he frequently relies on the extended simile, drawing out a single comparison over several stanzas to heighten the emotional resonance of the scene.

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