rhizoverbBeta
DictionarysimileFigurative comparison
noun

simile

SIM-uh-lee/ˈsɪməli/

A comparison using words such as like or as.

“The cloud is like cotton” is a simile comparing their soft appearance.

A soft white cloud beside a tuft of cotton, visually comparing unlike things with a shared fluffy appearance.
Etymology
simileLatina like thing; comparison

Latin simile meant a likeness or comparison. In rhetoric, that likeness is stated directly: otherwise unlike things are brought together through a shared feature, using “like” or “as.”

In context

Storytime Haven75:21
Marcello was struck by the simile, but he reflected that Aurora looked much more like a butterfly than a caterpillar
📖 Whosoever Shall Offend ✨ by F. Marion Crawford

More examples

  • She used a simile to compare the clouds with cotton.
  • The poem's opening simile linked grief to winter.
  • A vivid simile made the description easier to imagine.

Forms

simile · similes

similar adjective — alike in some way

Similar words

metaphor
A metaphor identifies one thing with another; a simile makes an explicit comparison, often using like or as.
analogy
An analogy explains a relationship or likeness more broadly; a simile is a compact figure of comparison.