Are you as busy as a bee? Do you have a few minutes to spare? If you do, here is something you can learn that will help you make your language look and sound a lot more interesting than it already is. In this article, you will be introduced to a figure of speech called simile, its meaning, definition and how to use them effectively. There are also a number of examples given that you can make use of in your own writing or speech.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Simile? – Meaning and Definition
- How to Use a Simile in a Sentence?
- Examples of Simile for Everyday Use
- Check Your Understanding of Similes
- Frequently Asked Questions on Similes in English Grammar
What Is a Simile? – Meaning and Definition
A simile is a figure of speech that is mainly used to compare two or more things that possess a similar quality. It uses words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make the comparison.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a simile is defined as “a word or phrase that compares something to something else, using the words like or as.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines a simile as “an expression comparing one thing with another, always including the words as or like”. “A simile is an expression which describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something else”, according to the Collins Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a simile as “a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as.”
How to Use a Simile in a Sentence?
A simile is generally used in a sentence to make comparisons between two or more nouns and this is done with the use of words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’. The general idea of using a simile with the word ‘as’ is by using a noun that is known for a particular quality. For example: as proud as a peacock, as busy as a bee and so on. A simile is a direct comparison of two like or unlike things. A simile helps your reader or listener visualise, understand and have a better conception of the quality of the nouns being compared. It makes it a lot more vivid and descriptive. In other words, it can be said that similes can be used to provide a mental image to your reader or listener.
Examples of Similes for Everyday Use
Here is a list of similes to help you understand how similes are formed and how they can be used in sentences.
Similes using ‘as’
- As slow as a sloth
- As busy as a bee
- As innocent as a lamb
- As proud as a peacock
- As fast as a cheetah
- As blind as a bat
- As bold as brass
- As cold as ice
- As white as a ghost
- As tall as a giraffe
- As sweet as sugar
- As strong as an ox
- As old as the hills
- As cool as a cucumber
- As clear as a crystal
- As tough as leather
- As good as gold
- As light as a feather
- As thin as a rake
- As deep as the ocean
- As cunning as a fox
- As clean as a whistle
- As sharp as a razor
- As gentle as a lamb
- As bright as the moon
Similes using ‘like’
- Jumps like a frog
- Sings like a cuckoo
- Runs like the wind
- Nocturnal like an owl
- Have eyes like a hawk
- Runs like a horse
- Swim like a fish
- Climbs like a monkey
- Sleeps like a baby
- Fighting like cats and dogs
- Fall like teardrops
- Eat like a pig
- Like a box of chocolates
- Slept like a log
- Chatters like a monkey
- Move like a snail
- Fit like a glove
Check Your Understanding of Similes
Identify the similes in the following sentences.
1. My love is like a red rose.
2. My brother and I fight like cats and dogs all the time.
3. Iniyan is always as busy as a bee.
4. My cousin chatters like a monkey.
5. Kitty is as proud as a peacock.
6. Sruthy works like a sloth.
7. My dog, Shadow, eats like a pig after I take him for a walk.
8. Stephen slept like a baby after working for ten long hours.
9. My father has eyes like a hawk. He finds out even the minutest of things.
10. Bob is as cunning as a fox.
Check your answers from the sentences given below.
1. My love is like a red rose.
2. My brother and I fight like cats and dogs all the time.
3. Iniyan is always as busy as a bee.
4. My cousin chatters like a monkey.
5. Kitty is as proud as a peacock.
6. Sruthy works like a sloth.
7. My dog, Shadow, eats like a pig after I take him for a walk.
8. Stephen slept like a baby after working for ten long hours.
9. My father has eyes like a hawk. He finds out even the minutest of things.
10. Bob is as cunning as a fox.
Frequently Asked Questions on Similes in English Grammar
What is a simile?
A simile is a figure of speech that is mainly used to compare two or more things that possess a similar quality. It uses words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make the comparison.
What is the definition of a simile?
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a simile is defined as “a word or phrase that compares something to something else, using the words like or as.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines a simile as “an expression comparing one thing with another, always including the words as or like”. “A simile is an expression which describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something else”, according to the Collins Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a simile as “a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as.”
Why should you use a simile in a sentence?
A simile is a direct comparison of two like or unlike things. A simile helps your reader or listener visualise, understand and have a better conception of the quality of the nouns being compared. It makes it a lot more vivid and descriptive. In other words, it can be said that similes can be used to provide a mental image to your reader or listener.
Give some examples of similes using ‘as’.
Here are a few examples of similes formed using ‘as’.
- As tall as a giraffe
- As sweet as sugar
- As strong as an ox
- As old as the hills
- As cool as a cucumber
Give some examples of similes using ‘like’.
Here are a few examples of similes formed using ‘like’
- Nocturnal like an owl
- Have eyes like a hawk
- Eat like a pig
- Like a box of chocolates
- Chatters like a monkey
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