Examples of Figurative Language

Figurative language refers to the color we use to amplify our writing. It takes an ordinary statement and dresses it
up in an evocative frock. It gently alludes to something without directly stating it. Figurative language is a way to
engage your readers, ushering them through your writing with a more creative tone.

Although it's often debated how many "types" of figurative language there are, it's safe to say there are at least
five distinct categories. They are: metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, and symbolism.
In truth, this is only scratching the surface. There are waves of other literary devices that color our writing,
including onomatopoeias, alliteration, oxymorons, puns, synecdoche, irony, idioms, and more.

In this article, we'd like to highlight the main branches of the tree, or "the big five." But, if we're being honest, the
list goes on and on. As a starting point, let's have some fun with the ones you're most likely to come across in
your daily readings.

Figurative Language: Understanding the Concept

Anytime your writing goes beyond the actual meanings of your words, you're using figurative language. This
allows the reader to gain new insights into your work.
One of the best ways to understand the concept of figurative language is to see it in action. Here are some
examples:
 This coffee shop is an ice box! (Metaphor)
 She's drowning in a sea of grief. (Metaphor)
 She's happy as a clam. (Simile)
 I move fast like a cheetah on the Serengeti. (Simile)
 The sea lashed out in anger at the ships, unwilling to tolerate another battle. (Personification)
 The sky misses the sun at night. (Personification)
 I’ve told you a million times to clean your room! (Hyperbole)
 Her head was spinning from all the new information. (Hyperbole)
 She was living her life in chains. (Symbolism - Chains are a symbol of oppression of entrapment.)
 When she saw the dove soar high above her home, she knew the worst was over. (Symbolism - Doves are a
symbol of peace and hope.)

The Big Five

Let’s dive deeper into "the big five." We’ll consider their place in your writing, and give some examples to paint a
better picture for you.

Metaphor
When you use a metaphor, you make a statement that doesn’t literally make sense. For example, “Time is a
thief.” Time is not actually stealing from you but this conveys the idea that hours or days sometimes seem to slip
by without you noticing.
Metaphors only makes sense when the similarities between the two things being compared are apparent or
readers understand the connection between the two words. Examples include:
 The world is my oyster.
 You're a couch potato.
 Time is money.
 He has a heart of stone.
 America is a melting pot.
 You are my sunshine.
Simile
A simile also compares two things. However, similes use the words “like” or “as.”
Examples include:
 Busy as a bee.
 Clean as a whistle.
 Brave as a lion.
 The tall girl stood out like a sore thumb.
 It was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
 My mouth was as dry as a bone.
 They fought like cats and dogs.
 Watching that movie was like watching grass grow.
Personification
Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. This can really affect the way
the reader imagines things. Personification is often used in poetry, fiction, and children’s rhymes.
Examples include:
 Opportunity knocked at his door.
 The sun greeted me this morning.
 The sky was full of dancing stars.
 The vines wove their delicate fingers together.
 The radio suddenly stopped singing and stared at me.
 The sun played hide and seek with the clouds.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an outrageous exaggeration that emphasizes a point. It tends toward the ridiculous or the funny.
Hyperbole adds color and depth to a character.
Examples include:
 You snore louder than a freight train!
 It's a slow burg. I spent a couple of weeks there one day.
 She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.
 I had to walk 15 miles to school in the snow, uphill, in bare feet.
 You could've knocked me over with a feather.
Symbolism
Symbolism occurs when a word has its own meaning but is used to represent something entirely different.
Examples in everyday life include:
 Using the image of the American flag to represent patriotism and a love for one’s country.
 Incorporating a red rose in your writing to symbolize love.
 Using an apple pie to represent a traditional American lifestyle.
 Using a chalkboard to represent education.
 Incorporating the color black in your writing as a symbol for evil or death.
 Using an owl to represent wisdom.
Examples in literature include:
 “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their
entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” - As You Like It, William Shakespeare
The “stage” here symbolizes the world and the “players” represent human beings.
 “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it; I’m well aware, as winter changes the
trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath a source of little visible delight, but
necessary.” - Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Bronte uses imagery of the natural world to symbolize the wild nature and deep feelings of her characters.

Some Fun Sounds

So, that covers "the big five." But, we'd be remiss if we didn't briefly touch upon some literary sound devices that
can hang with the best similes and metaphors.

Alliteration
Alliteration is a sound device. It is the repetition of the first consonant sounds in several words.
Examples include:
 We're up, wide-eyed, and wondering while we wait for others to awaken.
 Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the bitter butter better.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is also a sound device where the words sound like their meaning, or mimic sounds. They add a
level of fun and reality to writing.
Here are some examples:
 The burning wood hissed and crackled.
 Sounds of nature are all around us. Listen for the croak, caw, buzz, whirr, swish, hum, quack, meow, oink,
and tweet.

Figurative Language Engages the Reader

Regardless of the type of word you use, figurative language can make you look at the world differently; it can
heighten your senses, add expression and emphasis, and help you feel like you're having the same experience as
the author. With each brush stroke across the canvas a painter adds depth to their masterpiece. Figurative
language adds the same kind of depth to our writing.
So, instead of hearing the wind blow against your window tonight, perhaps you'll hear the whisper of the wind as
it calls out for you like a lover in the night. (personification and simile, respectively) That blank page you're
looking at is actually a blank canvas. It's up to you to add texture and depth. Have fun layering your literary
devices, but remember not to go overboard with them!
Figurative Language
To communicate clearly, students must be able to identify and correctly use figurative language.

Defining Figurative Language

Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the
literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he or she is simply stating the facts as they are.
Figurative language, in comparison, uses exaggerations or alterations to make a particular linguistic
point.
Figurative language is very common in poetry, but is also used in prose and nonfiction writing.
There are many different types of figurative language, covering the use of a specific type of word or word
meaning:
 Metaphor: A metaphor is a comparison made between things which are essentially not alike. One
example of a metaphor would be to say, “Nobody invites Edward to parties because he is a wet
blanket.”
 Simile: A simile is a direct comparison and often uses the words like or as. One example of a simile
would be to say, “Jamie runs as fast as the wind.”
 Personification: When something that is not human is given human-like qualities, this is known as
personification. An example of personification would be to say, “The leaves danced in the wind on
the cold October afternoon.”
 Hyperbole: Exaggerating, often in a humorous way, to make a point is known as hyperbole. One
example of hyperbole would be to say, “My eyes widened at the sight of the mile-high sundaes we
were having for dessert.”
 Symbolism: Symbolism occurs when something that has meaning in itself is used to represent
something entirely different. One example of symbolism would be to use an image of the American
flag to represent patriotism.
Figurative language also includes unusual constructions or combinations of words that provide a new
perspective. For example:
 Onomatopoeia: When the name of an action imitates the sound associated with it, this is known as
onomatopoeia. One example of onomatopoeia would be to say, “The bees buzz angrily when their
hive is disturbed.”
 Idiom: An idiom is an expression used by a particular group of people with a meaning that is only
known through common use. One example of an idiom would be to say, “I’m waiting for him to kick
the bucket.” Many idioms that are frequently used are also considered clichés.
 Synecdoche: A synecdoche is a figure of speech using a word or words that are a part to represent
a whole. For example, referring to credit cards as "plastic" is a synecdoche.
 Cliché: A cliché is a phrase that is often repeated and has become kind of meaningless. An example
of a cliché is the expression "walk a mile in my shoes."
 Assonance: When you repeat a vowel sound in a phrase is it assonance. For example, "True, I do
like Sue."
 Metonymy: A figure of speech where one thing is replaced with a word that is closely associated with
it, such as using "Washington" to refer to the United States government.

Figurative Language Resources for Teachers

Teaching figurative language can be a challenge on many different levels. For example:
 Small children find figurative language difficult because they lack the intellectual capacity to realize
that words can have more than one meaning.
 Those with disabilities such as autism have trouble in social settings because they prefer literal
language over figurative expressions and have trouble identifying when a speaker is using literary
devices such as hyperbole or metaphors.
 People who are learning English as a second language find many types of figurative language to be
challenging because of their vocabulary limitations.
Teachers in search of ideas for discussing the use of figurative language in the classroom can find a
variety of materials online. If you’re searching for free printable worksheets and lesson plans,
YourDictionary recommends visiting the following helpful websites:
 Ed Helper has worksheets for elementary and junior high students covering similes, metaphors, and
idioms.
 Boggles World has worksheets covering exaggerations, opposites, alliteration, metaphors, and
similes.
 TLS Books provides a printable worksheet that challenges students to rewrite sentences to eliminate
figurative language and provide the correct literal meaning.
 Read. Write. Think. has a lesson plan for students in grades 6-8 that uses The Phantom Tollbooth to
introduce the concept of figurative language.
 PULSE has a lesson suggestion for high school students that uses The Wreck of the Edmund
Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot to increase understanding of the correct use of figurative language.
 Frost Friends: This website provides a look at the use of figurative language in the poetry of Robert
Frost which could be used as the basis of a lesson plan for high school students.
For examples of figurative language for children, check out Metaphor Examples for Kids and Simile
Examples for Kids.

Metaphor Examples for Kids

A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike
but do have something in common. Unlike a simile, where two things are compared directly
using like or as, a metaphor's comparison is more indirect by stating something is something else. A
metaphor is very expressive; it is not meant to be taken literally.You may have to work a little to find the
meaning in a metaphor.
Metaphors can be very helpful for kids who are learning the meaning of specific words because they
provide a more visual description of the word or thought.

Kid-Friendly Metaphors
Check out these examples of metaphors. Look for the comparison being made:
 The snow is a white blanket.
 The hospital was a refrigerator.
 The classroom was a zoo.
 America is a melting pot.
 Her lovely voice was music to his ears.
 Life is a rollercoaster.
 The alligator’s teeth are white daggers.
 Their home was a prison.
 The slide on the playground was a hot stove.
 His heart is a cold iron.
 She is a peacock.
 He is a shining star.
 Time is money.
 My teacher is a dragon.
 Tom’s eyes were icy.
 The detective’s face was wooden as he listened to her story.
 She feels that life is a fashion show.
 The world is a stage.
 My kid’s room is a disaster area.
 The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.
 Kisses are the flowers of affection.
 His words were cotton candy.
 Mary’s eyes were fireflies.
 John’s suggestion was just a Band-Aid.
 The cast on his broken leg was a plaster shackle.
 Her long hair was a flowing golden river.
 The computers at school are old dinosaurs.
 Laughter is the music of the soul.
 He is a night owl.
 Maria is a chicken.
 The falling snowflakes are dancers.
 At five o’clock, the interstate was a parking lot.
 Books are keys to your imagination.
 Her teddy bear was her best friend, never sharing her secrets.
 The peaceful lake was a mirror.
 Terry was blue when his goldfish died.
 The wind was an angry witch.
 The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage.
 Her angry words were bullets to him.
 Your brain is a computer.
 Jamal was a pig at dinner.
 You are my sunshine.
 The car was a furnace in the sun.
 Thank you so much. You are an angel.
 That coach is an ogre.
 Ben’s temper was a volcano, ready to explode.
 The kids were monkeys on the jungle gym.
 The sun is a golden ball.
 The clouds are balls of cotton.
 Sue’s room is a zoo with fish, a gerbil and a parakeet.
 The park was a lake after the rain.
 The lightning was fireworks in the sky.
 Gary is a mule.
 That lawn is a green carpet.
 My dad is a road hog.
 The stars are sparkling diamonds.
 Those two best friends are two peas in a pod.
 He is a walking dictionary.
 Donations for the popular charity were a tsunami.
 Necessity is the mother of invention.
 My big brother is a couch potato.
 The road was a ribbon stretching across the desert.
 The teenager’s stomach was a bottomless pit.
 The thunder was a mighty lion.
 I am so excited. My pulse is a race car.
 The moon is a white balloon.
 Toddlers are rug rats.
 The stormy ocean was a raging bull.
 Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.
These examples will help children understand that metaphors make writing more interesting and can
bring a subject alive for a reader. Now that you know some good metaphors for kids, take a look at these
other Metaphor Examples.