Metaphors Metaphors can be really great for making writing more interesting, but they do need to be used with care. A metaphor is an imaginative way to describe one thing by saying it is something else. It compares two different things or ideas, but unlike a simile it does not use the word ‘like’ or ‘as’. An example of a metaphor is: ‘The sea is a roaring lion.’ In this case the sea is being compared to a roaring lion, but rather than writing a simile, the sea is like a roaring lion, it is stated that the sea is actually a roaring lion. It implies the sea has some of the traits of a lion, strength, sound etc. We frequently use metaphors in our everyday speech, often without realising, with phrases such as ‘the nurse was an angel’. However, they are especially effective when used in poetry and descriptive writing, but it is important not to overdo their use. The good news is that we have just published the first set of worksheets on metaphors which can be found in the English, Grammar and Vocabulary, Vocabulary Development category. Go to Metaphor worksheets