met ‧ a ‧ phor /ˈmetəfə, -fɔː $ -fɔːr/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: métaphore , from Latin , from Greek metaphora , from meta- ( ⇨ ↑ meta- ) + pherein 'to carry' ]
1 . a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing ⇨ simile :
She uses some wonderful images and metaphors in her writing.
a very creative use of metaphor
2 . mixed metaphor the use of two different metaphors at the same time to describe something, especially in a way that seems silly or funny
3 . something that represents a general idea or quality
metaphor for
Their relationship is a metaphor for the failure of communication in the modern world.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ use a metaphor
To use her own metaphor, she is a caged bird who wants to fly free.
▪ extend a metaphor (=to use other metaphors with a similar idea)
The poem extends the metaphor of food still further.
▪ borrow a metaphor from something (=use a metaphor from another subject, book etc)
To borrow an architectural metaphor, you cannot see the whole building if you focus on the individual bricks.
■ adjectives
▪ a powerful metaphor (=one that works very well)
His election campaign used the powerful metaphor of ‘building a bridge to the next century’.
▪ a vivid metaphor (=one that gives you a picture in your mind)
The book is full of vivid metaphors and powerful images.
▪ an appropriate/apt metaphor (=a very suitable one)
Building on sand is an apt metaphor for the challenge we face.
▪ a central metaphor (=one that a poem or book is based around)
The poet as something carried by the ocean is a central metaphor in the book.
▪ a mixed metaphor (=the use of two different metaphors at the same time to describe something, especially in a way that seems silly or funny)
In a mixed metaphor, she said ‘he stepped up to the plate and took the bull by the horns.’
▪ a religious/military/biological etc metaphor
He uses a military metaphor to describe these women as ‘storming’ the castle of male power.
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THESAURUS
■ techniques used in language
▪ metaphor a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing:
The beehive is a metaphor for human society.
▪ simile an expression that describes something by comparing it with something else, using the words as or like , for example ‘as white as snow’:
The poet uses the simile ‘soft like clay’.
▪ irony the use of words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in order to be amusing:
‘I’m so happy to hear that,’ he said, with more than a trace of irony in his voice.
▪ bathos a sudden change from a subject that is beautiful, moral, or serious to something that is ordinary, silly, or not important:
The play is too sentimental and full of bathos.
▪ hyperbole a way of describing something by saying that it is much bigger, smaller, worse etc than it actually is – used especially to excite people’s feelings:
In his speeches, he used a lot of hyperbole.
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journalistic hyperbole
▪ alliteration the use of several words together that all begin with the same sound, in order to make a special effect, especially in poetry:
the alliteration of the ‘s’ sound in ‘sweet birds sang softly’
▪ imagery the use of words to describe ideas or actions in a way that makes the reader connect the ideas with pictures in their mind:
the use of water imagery in Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’
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She uses the imagery of a bird’s song to represent eternal hope.
▪ rhetorical question a question that you ask as a way of making a statement, without expecting an answer:
When he said ‘how can these attitudes still exist in a civilized society?’, he was asking a rhetorical question.