Metaphors in English: Meaning, Examples, Rules and Exceptions

Metaphors in English grammar make abstract concepts more tangible by relating them to something more familiar. They create a bright imaginary picture in the mind of the reader by using sensory details and descriptive language.

Metaphors aim to establish a resemblance or analogy between two unrelated items, often by transferring qualities from one to the other.

Let’s understand with some examples in detail:

Metaphor	Comparison	Actual Meaning Being Conveyed
She is a ray of sunshine	Comparing the girl’s personality with sunshine	The girl brings happiness, warmth, and positivity to others.
The city is a jungle	Comparing the city with a jungle	The city is full of chaos, hustle and competition.
He is a walking dictionary	Man with a dictionary	The person is very knowledgeable with good vocabulary .

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According to Oxford Dictionary, “a word or phrase used to describe somebody/something else, in a way that is different from its normal use, in order to show that the two things have the same qualities and to make the description more powerful.”

It is pronounced as /ˈmetəfə(r)/,  /ˈmetəfɔː(r)/

Cambridge Dictionary states Metaphor as , “an expression, often found in literature, that describes a person or object by referring to something that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object.”

It is pronounced as uk  /ˈmet.ə.fɔːr/ us  /ˈmet̬.ə.fɔːr/

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In English literature, there are different types of Metaphors to show symbolism are standard, implied, visual, extended and mixed. Let’s take a look at them:

Standard Metaphor 

Standard, direct, and explicit are all part of a simple metaphor which compares the two things directly. It explicitly states that one thing is another to convey a certain meaning or feeling. Standard metaphors are frequently used in everyday speech, literature, and advertising.

For example:

• Laughter is a medicine for the soul: Comparing laughter with medicine that cures and helps keeping good health.
• The snow was white blanket covering the city: Comparing snow with a white blanket that covered the whole place.

Implied Metaphor

An implied metaphor, also known as implicit or indirect, compares two dissimilar things without identifying one of them.

For example:

• Mark tucked his tail and ran. (Comparing mark with a scared dog)
• The flowers nodded in the wind. (Comparing flowers to people)

Visual Metaphor

A visual metaphor uses graphic elements to establish comparison between two things. These are mostly used by advertisers and artists in art, advertising, and film.

For example:

• A tangled web: Symbolizes a complex situation, a web of deceit, or a feeling of being trapped.
• A lightbulb: Symbolizes an idea, a new discovery, or a moment of clarity.

Extended Metaphor

An extended metaphor is a version of a metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry.

For example:

• Life a journey: Comparing life with a journey where sometimes it can be a smooth ride and sometimes the path can be rocky. But with perseverance and determination, we can eventually reach our destination.
• Hope is like a lighthouse: Comparing hope with a lighthouse that shines as a guiding light helping us navigate life’s obstacles and tough days.

Mixed Metaphor

Mixed metaphor combines two or more different metaphors, often producing a silly or humorous effect. It uses interchangeably because they both involve combining phrases in a clashing way. This figure of speech combines two different metaphors that are incompatible.

For example:

• We were flying through a sea of success (It combines the idea of flying (a free and swift journey) with a sea (a vast and often challenging body of water), and success (a positive and achievable goal)
• Too many cooks break the camel's back (when there are too many people involved in a task, especially with conflicting opinions or ideas, it can result in chaos, poor quality, or even failure)

Dead Metaphor

A dead metaphor occurs when the original meaning of the comparison is lost either due to excessive repetition or a semantic shift (words losing or changing their initial meaning over time).

For example:

• Kick the bucket (Originally referencing a method of execution or suicide, it now means "to die")
• Roll up the window (Originally referring to the action of rolling up a window in a car, it now refers to closing a window in general)

Also Read: Antonyms: Meaning, Exceptions and Examples

A Metaphor is made up of four things:

• Tenor
• Vehicle
• Ground
• Tension

A tenor refers to the thing being described, and a vehicle is the thing it's being compared to. Shared characteristics are the ground that connect them. Tension is the difference between the tenor and the vehicle, which helps create a vivid comparison.

Example: The world is a stage.

Tenor: The world

Vehicle: A stage

Ground: Both involve actors, scenes, and a performance with an audience.

Tension: The world is not literally a stage, but the comparison helps us understand human life as a performance with roles and events.

Rules that students should follow while using Metaphors in English language:

• Establish the tenor that you are trying to compare
• Establish the purpose as to why you want to use a metaphor
• Identify a vehicle that has an underlying connection but is not directly related to the tenor
• Select the right structure of the metaphor
• Right placement of tenor and vehicle is very important for the chosen metaphor structure

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In metaphors, there are no specific exceptions. However, implied metaphors, mixed metaphors, dead metaphors (explained above in the page) are considered as special cases of metaphor. More than special cases, these are more of different ways in which the concept of metaphor is applied and interpreted in English language.

In another case, when metaphors are used as a cognitive tool, it is counted as a special case. For instance, the metaphor "time is money" explains time in terms of financial resources, which can be a useful cognitive tool.

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The most important tip to use metaphor effectively in English language is to be able to create relatable and original vivid comparisons in readers’ minds.

Below are few tips to ace English Metaphors, in detail:

• First and foremost, understand the purpose of metaphor and why you want to use it
• Use simple and precise metaphors that are easy to use and understand
• Use them sparingly. Too many metaphors can defeat the purpose
• Use metaphors that create vivid pictures in reader’s mind
• Understand the topic and use the most suitable metaphor. For instance, a humorous metaphor won’t fit in for a serious situation/topic
• Experiment with different comparisons and practice to use metaphor that suits best to your topic
• Don’t mix metaphors unnecessarily. They can create confusion

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Students can follow the below mentioned steps to know if metaphor has been used in a sentence:

• See if two dissimilar things have been compared without the use of ‘like’ or ‘as’. Try to analyze if the sentence is using a figure of speech to create a deeper understanding or a vivid image in the reader's mind.
• Try to locate tenor (subject being compared) and vehicle (object used to compare).

For example: Life is a roller coaster. (Life is tenor, roller coaster is vehicle)

• How does metaphor adds meaning to the sentence or creates a particular image in the raeder’s mind.

For example: "He is a night owl" - "He" (tenor) is compared to "night owl" (vehicle) implying the person likes to be up late at night.

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