met·a·phor
metaphor
- pronunciation:
- me
t
for
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is used to describe one thing in terms of another in a nonliteral way, such as "drowning in work".
|
| related words: |
analogy, conceit, figure |
| derivations: |
metaphorical (adj.), metaphorically (adv.), metaphoricalness (n.) |
The word
metaphor comes from an ancient Greek word that meant "to transfer or carry over to something else." When you use a metaphor, it is as though you are taking the word for one thing and transferring it to another thing that you perceive to be like the first thing.