Simile Definition and Examples from 601 Words

Simile definition and real examples in authentic context as a figure of speech in literature. Practice reading and listening comprehension with the word, simile. This word is taken from the book, 601 Words You Need to Know to Pass Your Exam.

/ˈsɪmɪli/ (noun)

Simile definition

a literary expression intended to make a comparison between two things or people that are similar to each other from a particular point of view with the help of some special words or phrases, e.g. “like, as, etc.”, metaphor, image, rhetorical expression, idiomatic expression, likeness, In Latin it means: like thing

Example

A simile is a figure of speech and type of metaphor that compares two different things using the words “like” or “as.”

The purpose of a simile is to help describe one thing by comparing it to another thing that is perhaps seemingly unrelated. For example, when Forrest Gump, the titular character from the 1994 film Forrest Gump, uses the simile, “Life is like a box of chocolates,” he is intending to show how unpredictable life is, in much the same way as picking a random chocolate from a box and not knowing what flavor you have until you bite into it.

“He’s as dead as a doornail.” “He is as brave as a lion.” Comparisons are as common in the English language as they are in writing. One of the simplest and most effective comparisons to make when writing is a simile.

Source of example: https://www.masterclass.com/

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