A simile is a type of figurative language or a figure of speech, that compares two things, usually to draw attention to their similarities.
Simile meaning and effect
The clue is in the name - simile is all about similarity. Simile uses connecting words such as 'like', 'as' or 'than'. For example: 'running like the wind', 'as hot as a sauna' or 'more cunning than a fox'. A simile is one of the most common techniques in creative writing, but it's also very common to hear it in everyday language.
Simile words and examples
In this section, we'll look at examples of similes, some of which you may already be familiar with.
Examples of common phrases that use simile
You could use this phrase to describe something that is physically very cold, or you could use it to describe a nasty or unfriendly person. Either way, by comparing that thing (the object or someone's personality) to ice, you are making a point about just how cold it is.
Fig. 1 - As cold as ice!
Can you think of anything more boring than watching paint dry? By drawing a comparison to this extremely tedious activity, we get the idea that the thing you are describing is not exactly thrilling!
You would normally use this phrase to describe something that is confusing or hard to understand. This comparison comes from the fact that you cannot see through mud - it's the opposite of clear! If somebody were to say, "The instructions are as clear as mud", we understand this to mean, "The instructions are not clear at all". This is an example of simile, comparing two things to draw attention to their differences.
It's worth noting that these three phrases are also examples of idioms. An idiom is a figure of speech that has become common in everyday conversation.
Examples of simile in poetry
... when you rage and moan
and bring your fists down like a stone
(Don Paterson, 'The Circle', 2009)
Paterson is describing his son angrily banging his fists - we imagine stone as being heavy, helping us to picture the boy's fists slamming down with great force. Throughout the poem, there are allusions to outer space, planets and the elements, and so this simile fits nicely with the theme.
… Her veins
Like shadows below the lines of the map
(Carol Ann Duffy, 'The Map-Woman', 2002)
This entire poem compares a woman's body, and life experiences, to a map, and this line in particular serves as a great example of how simile can create vivid imagery. This poem is also an example of extended metaphor.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore -
And then run?
(Langston Hughes, 'Harlem', 1951)
This poem uses simile throughout to ask the question, what happens to a dream (or ambition) if you put it to the side rather than pursuing it? The two similes in this extract create some memorable imagery by suggesting that it might dry up 'like a raisin in the sun' or more firmly 'like a sore'.
Examples of simile in song lyrics
I came in like a wrecking ball
(Miley Cyrus, 'Wrecking Ball', 2013)
A wrecking ball is a device used for demolition, and in this line, Cyrus is describing how she entered a relationship, throwing herself in full force to try and break down the other person's barriers. By comparing herself to a wrecking ball, we get a sense of how destructive her behavior was.
Just like a moth drawn to a flame,
You lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain
(Shawn Mendes, 'Stitches', 2015)
We all know that moths are attracted to light, which can be deadly if they are drawn to a flame - you could call it a 'fatal attraction'. Here, Mendes is comparing himself to a moth being drawn to a lover (a 'flame' - which is also a double meaning ), not knowing what danger could lie ahead.
I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails
(Outkast, 'ATLiens', 1996)
In this playful line, rapper Big Boi compares himself to a polar bear's toenails (or claws) - which obviously spend a lot of time in snow, and so are 'cool'. This is a good example of how a smile can be used to humorous effect.
Examples of a simile in fiction
[Her face], when she saw him, always looked like a window that has caught the sunset.
(Edith Wharton, Edith Frome, 1911)
A window that has caught the sunset lights up with warm color - just like the face of somebody who has seen their love interest. This is a great example of how simile can make a line much more interesting and expressive.
… Ankh-Morpork is as full of life as an old cheese on a hot day, as loud as a curse in a cathedral, as bright as an oil slick, as colorful as a bruise…
(Terry Pratchett, Mort, 1987)
Here Pratchett strings together a line of original, extremely creative similes, to describe how loud and brash the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork is. “As full of life as an old cheese on a hot day” is a particularly disgusting image - it makes us picture a piece of cheese brimming with maggots and all manner of creepy crawlies, which is fitting for a place as bustling (and dirty) as Ankh-Morpork.
I struggled through the alphabet as if it had been a bramble-bush
(Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860-1861)
At this point in the book, the protagonist Pip is learning to read and write, and by comparing his learning of the alphabet to a bramble-bush, we imagine the pain and difficulty of his struggle to get through it.
Fig. 2 - Pip struggling with the alphabet.
When is a comparison NOT a simile?
We've established that a simile draws a comparison between two things, but not every comparison is a simile. For example:
Today's dinner is just like yesterday's dinner.
This is NOT a simile. It compares two things that are basically the same (today's dinner and yesterday's dinner). The comparison is literal. Now consider this phrase ...
Today's dinner is like toxic waste.
This IS a simile, as it makes the description more vivid. The comparison is figurative because it has a degree of imagination; it creates imagery to make a point about how bad the dinner is.
Which of the following phrases is a simile?
'You look like your brother', or 'You look like a wild dog'.
The answer is, "You look like a wild dog"; once again, the comparison is not literal, but it is making a point through its imagery (albeit not a very nice one!).
If you have any doubt about this, take another look at the examples in the previous section and you'll see how they all compare things that are very different from each other; a boy's fists and stone; a person entering a relationship and a wrecking ball; a city and a piece of old cheese; all of these examples are imaginative and really paint a picture to express an idea or opinion.
How is a simile different from a metaphor?
Metaphors and similes are easily confused, as they both draw comparisons between two things. The main difference is that simile uses connecting words, such as 'like' or 'as', whereas metaphor doesn't. A simile is often a more direct way of comparing two things whereas a metaphor can be a little more abstract.
Simile - key takeaways
- A simile is a type of figurative language, or a figure of speech, that directly compares two things, usually to draw attention to their similarities.
- Simile uses connecting words, such as 'like' or 'as' to draw comparisons - this is one of the main differences between simile and metaphor.
- Many common phrases, or idioms, make use of similes. Examples include: "as cold as ice", "sleeping like a baby", and "hotter than a sauna".
- People use similes to create imagery and to express their opinions and feelings in imaginative and creative ways.
- A metaphor does not use like or as to draw comparisons between two unrelated things.
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