English
What is a simile?
Quick answer
A simile compares one thing to another using like or as, such as as brave as a lion or her eyes shone like stars.
In one sentence
A simile is a description that compares one thing to something different using the word like or as.
Explained
The baby's hands were small tells you a fact. The baby's hands were as small as starfish gives you a picture. That picture-making comparison is a simile.
Similes use one of two patterns:
- as + adjective + as: as cold as ice, as busy as a bee, as light as a feather
- like: She sang like a bird. The car roared like a lion. His room looked like a bomb had hit it.
A good simile compares two things that are different in most ways but share one striking quality. Snow and sugar are not the same, but both are white and sparkling. That surprise is what makes the image stick.
Some similes have been used so often that they have become clichés: as good as gold, as cold as ice. They are fine in conversation, but in creative writing a fresh simile is far stronger. Instead of as cold as ice, try as cold as the back of the freezer, or so cold my teeth were chattering like castanets.
Similes are close cousins of metaphors. A simile says one thing is like another; a metaphor says it is the other. The moon was like a silver coin (simile). The moon was a silver coin (metaphor).
lion
star
snow
Examples
- The kite danced like a leaf in the wind.
- After the race my legs were as wobbly as jelly.
- The old dog snored like a rumbling train.
- Her voice was as sharp as a pin.
- The stars were scattered like spilt salt.
Common mistakes
- Calling every "like" a simile. I like cake and She looks like her mum are not similes; nothing unlike is being compared to create an image.
- Piling them up. Three similes in one sentence fight each other. Choose the best one.
- Using comparisons that do not fit. The tiger was as gentle as a lamb only works if you want the reader to be surprised.
Quick quiz
Similes
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Which sentence contains a simile?
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For grown-ups
Related topics
Metaphors
A metaphor describes something by saying it is something else, without using like or as, such as The classroom was a zoo or Time is a thief.
Personification
Personification gives human qualities or actions to things that are not human, like The wind howled or The sun smiled down on us.
Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun, telling you what kind, which one or how many, like a huge elephant, a sour lemon or three red balloons.
Alliteration
Alliteration is when several words close together start with the same sound, like six silly snakes or big brown bear. It makes writing catchy and memorable.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the noise it describes, such as buzz, splash, sizzle, bang or hiss.
Synonyms
A synonym is a word that means the same or nearly the same as another word, like big and large, or happy and cheerful.