Comparison sometimes wears an explicit marker. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using words such as like or as, highlighting a shared quality.

Similes appear in everyday talk and in literary style. They are generally more transparent than metaphors because the comparison is signaled overtly. Overfamiliar similes harden into clichés; original similes refresh perception.

Teachers introduce similes early in figurative-language instruction. Analysts track which domains speakers connect most often. Effective similes fit the audience’s experience so the intended similarity is grasped at once.

• Explicit comparison using like or as
• Highlights shared qualities between unlike things
• Common in conversation and literature
• More transparent than metaphor for many readers