metaphor

noun

ˈme-tə-ˌfȯr How to pronounce metaphor (audio)
Definition of metaphornext
as in analogy
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something "it's raining cats and dogs" is just a colorful metaphor and not a meteorological announcement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of metaphor The creature has become a metaphor in the AI world, symbolizing the uncertainty around how AI models work under the hood. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Working Toward The Same Point Blackjack is a pretty good metaphor for siloed organizations. — Larry Bomback, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Instead, it's turned into a timeless work that's spawned decades of study about the movie as a metaphor for the civil rights movement, Vietnam War and 1960s America. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Drawing on an astonishing wealth of references to the metaphor of two ships by figures from the early colonial era through the Civil War, Reynolds lops off the Quakers and the Scotch-Irish in favor of the groups that came first and seemed most antithetically opposed—Puritan and Cavalier. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for metaphor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for metaphor
analogy
Noun
  • This involves sharing only essential details, simplifying complex ideas with analogies, and prioritizing influencing action over mere information delivery.
    — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • An Iranian friend drew an analogy between Iranians who have experienced the Islamic regime to being a rape victim.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 29 June 2026
Definition of analogy

Browse Nearby Words

metamorphosis
metaphor
metaphoric
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metaphor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/metaphor. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on metaphor

Nglish: Translation of metaphor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about metaphor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All