Similes 01

A simile (pronounced si mil ee) compares two unlike things and the sentence usually contains "like" or "as". Similes can really enhance English and even bring a smile (nearly a simile!) to the face.

How often do you use similes? Have you ever heard that someone "smells like roses"? That is an example of a simile, often used ironically for someone who is not innocent and therefore does NOT "smell like roses". Colours are often compared to natural objects with which everyone is familiar, which involves employing a simile: something might be "as blue as the sky" or "as green as grass". The "as...as...." construction is typical for similes and helps us to picture whatever is being described.

Whereas your goal with some similes might be to help someone understand exactly what you mean, at other times you will want to invent a creative simile, one with which your reader will not already be familiar. In such cases you'll want to avoid clichés like "as brittle as glass", "as playful as a puppy" or "as hot as an oven" in order to come up with something arresting: "he leapt about like a new lamb on a fresh April morning", for instance. This simile builds on the familiar (leaping like a lamb), but adds extra detail to avoid sounding stale.

Test your knowledge of similes with this quiz.