METAPHOR: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for METAPHOR?

Need another word that means the same as “metaphor”? Find 11 synonyms and 30 related words for “metaphor” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Metaphor” are: figure of speech, image, trope, allegory, parable, analogy, comparison, symbol, emblem, word painting, word picture

Metaphor as a Noun

Definitions of "Metaphor" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “metaphor” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity.
• A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
• A thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else.

Synonyms of "Metaphor" as a noun (11 Words)

allegory	A symbol. Pilgrim s Progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey.
analogy	The religious belief that between creature and creator no similarity can be found so great but that the dissimilarity is always greater any analogy between God and humans will always be inadequate. An analogy between the workings of nature and those of human societies.
comparison	A consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people. They made a comparison of noise levels.
emblem	A visible symbol representing an abstract idea. America s national emblem the bald eagle.
figure of speech	Language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense.
image	Language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense. She s the very image of her mother.
parable	(New Testament) any of the stories told by Jesus to convey his religious message. A modern day parable.
symbol	A shape or sign used to represent something such as an organization, e.g. a red cross or a Star of David. The chemical symbol for helium is He.
trope	A figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression. Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self.
word painting	A promise.
word picture	The divine word of God; the second person in the Trinity (incarnate in Jesus.

Usage Examples of "Metaphor" as a noun

• Her poetry depends on suggestion and metaphor.
• The amounts of money being lost by the company were enough to make it a metaphor for an industry that was teetering.
• When we speak of gene maps and gene mapping, we use a cartographic metaphor.

Associations of "Metaphor" (30 Words)

allusion	The practice of making allusions. The use of allusion.
analogy	The religious belief that between creature and creator no similarity can be found so great but that the dissimilarity is always greater any analogy between God and humans will always be inadequate. The syndrome is called deep dysgraphia because of its analogy to deep dyslexia.
bombast	High-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people. The bombast of gung ho militarism.
compare	Examine and note the similarities or differences of. John compared his haircut to his friend s.
comparison	Relation based on similarities and differences. When it comes to achievements this season there s no comparison between Linfield and Bangor.
conceptual	Being or characterized by concepts or their formation. Conceptual discussions.
equal	A person who is of equal standing with another in a group. His work is concerned with why private property equals exploitation.
equate	Cause (two or more things) to be the same in quantity or value. You cannot equate success in financial matters with greed.
exaggerate	To enlarge beyond bounds or the truth. Claims of turmoil within the firm are greatly exaggerated.
exaggeration	The action of making exaggerations. It would be an exaggeration to say I had morning sickness but I did feel queasy.
figurative	Not literal; using figures of speech. The figurative art of the humanistic tradition.
fustian	A strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap. The coarse fustian of prison clothing.
hyperbole	Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. He vowed revenge with oaths and hyperboles.
imagery	The ability to form mental images of things or events. Tennyson uses imagery to create a lyrical emotion.
impressionism	A school of late 19th century French painters who pictured appearances by strokes of unmixed colors to give the impression of reflected light.
liken	Point out the resemblance of someone or something to. Racism is likened to a contagious disease.
likeness	The fact or quality of being alike; resemblance. The only known likeness of Dorothy as a young woman.
magnification	The degree to which something is or can be magnified. The lines are only visible under high magnification.
metonymy	The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the turf for horse racing.
overstatement	The action of stating something too strongly; exaggeration. A classic piece of overstatement.
parallelism	The state of being parallel or of corresponding in some way. The parallelisms are reinforced by frequent alliteration.
poetic	Written in verse rather than prose. A poetic drama.
reference	A remark that calls attention to something or someone. The publishers reprinted and sold the work without reference to the author.
resemblance	Similarity in appearance or external or superficial details. The physical resemblances between humans and apes.
rhetorical	Given to rhetoric, emphasizing style at the expense of thought. The general intended his question to be purely rhetorical.
similarity	A similar feature or aspect. The similarity of symptoms makes them hard to diagnose.
simile	The use of similes as a method of comparison. His audacious deployment of simile and metaphor.
statement	A document setting out items of debit and credit between a bank or other organization and a customer. The ministers issued a joint statement calling for negotiations.
symbolism	The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. He has always believed in the importance of symbolism in garden art.
trope	A significant or recurrent theme; a motif. Perhaps it is a mistake to use tropes and parallels in this eminently unpoetic age.