metaphor

US /ˈmɛt.ə.foɹ/ UK /ˈmɛ.tə.fə/ See IPA manual

Freq #8933

Meanings

1

noun
A way of describing something by calling it something else to suggest they are alike, without using 'like' or 'as'.

Calling someone 'a machine' is a metaphor for being tireless and efficient.
2

noun
A word or phrase used in such an imaginative comparison.

'A sea of troubles' is a powerful metaphor.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms metaphors

Derived forms malaphormetaphorememetaphoricmetaphorical metaphoricallymetaphoricianmetaphoricitymetaphoricsmetaphorismmetaphoristmetaphorizationmetaphorize

Related forms allegory analogy idiommetonymmetonymysimile

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mixed metaphor
an expression combining incompatible metaphors in a confusing or absurd way

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “to transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”).

*bʰer- Proto-Indo-European métaphore Middle French metaphora Latin μεταφορά Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Language & Linguistics Literature & Storytelling General Vocabulary

External links

# metaphor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɛt.ə.foɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɛ.tə.fə/
**Frequency rank:** 8933

## Meanings
1. A way of describing something by calling it something else to suggest they are alike, without using 'like' or 'as'.
2. A word or phrase used in such an imaginative comparison.

## Examples
- Calling someone 'a machine' is a metaphor for being tireless and efficient.
- 'A sea of troubles' is a powerful metaphor.

## Derived Forms
- malaphor
- metaphoreme
- metaphoric
- metaphorical
- metaphorically
- metaphorician
- metaphoricity
- metaphorics
- metaphorism
- metaphorist
- metaphorization
- metaphorize

## Related Forms
- allegory
- analogy
- idiom
- metonym
- metonymy
- simile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰer-
- Root: métaphore
- Root: metaphora
- Root: μεταφορά

## Etymology
From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “to transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”).

## AI Etymology
Metaphor comes from Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “to transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “to bear, carry”). In present-day English its meanings include a way of describing something by calling it something else to suggest they are alike, without using 'like' or 'as' and a word or phrase used in such an imaginative comparison. The historical chain runs through *bʰer- (Proto-Indo-European), métaphore (Middle French), metaphora (Latin), and μεταφορά (Ancient Greek). Related and derived forms include allegory, analogy, idiom, and malaphor.

## Topics
- Language & Linguistics
- Literature & Storytelling
- General Vocabulary

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