What are Similies?
Similes use the words like or as to compare things and describe them. A famous simile is, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” from the Forrest Gump movie.
They are a form of figurative language like metaphors. Metaphors say something is something else, whereas similes say something is like something else. For example, "Love is blind." This is a metaphor and it is not literal. To read more about metaphors go here.
Similes are used in spoken English. Personally, I use them often. Some of the ones I say frequently are:
- I've got a memory like a sieve.
- I stood out like a sore thumb.
- I know London like the back of my hand.
- It was as fast as lightning.
You don't have to speak with well-known similes. You can actually make your own. However, make sure you say something that people will understand the meaning of. Let's look at similes from well-known books:
- "...you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair."
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
- "My brother Ben’s face, thought Eugene, is like a piece of slightly yellow ivory."
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolf.
- "His hair shines like that of a young boy. It is crinkled and crisp as lettuce."
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolf.
Animal similes are particularly common in the English language. Here are some examples:
She's as quiet as a mouse.
He's as blind as a bat.
She's as sly as a fox.
I'm as sick as a dog.
He's as strong as an ox.
She drinks like a fish (she drinks lots of alcohol)
I've been working like a dog.
Practise writing similes! Write a simile or two in the comments.
Similies are similar to metaphors. Read about metaphors here.
Sarah x
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Good luck with your English!
Sarah x