We often understand one domain through another. A metaphor is a figure of speech—and a broader cognitive mapping—that describes one thing in terms of another unlike thing, without explicit comparison words such as like.

Lexical metaphors become conventional; creative metaphors surprise by linking remote domains. Conceptual metaphor theory argues that patterns such as ARGUMENT IS WAR structure everyday reasoning, not only poetic language. Languages share some metaphor systems and develop others culturally.

Metaphor analysis appears in literary study, cognitive linguistics, and communication research. Overused metaphors lose vividness and become dead metaphors. Fresh metaphor can still reshape how an audience frames an issue.

• Implicit comparison between unlike domains
• Operates in everyday speech as well as literature
• May reflect deeper conceptual mappings
• Conventionalizes or innovates depending on use