If you’re walking the walls looking for examples of metaphors to inspire your texts, we have good news: you’ve arrived at the right port!
In today’s article we will share with you some literary and everyday metaphors, as well as some short metaphorical phrases that you can use to enrich your speeches.
There are different types of metaphors that will help you communicate an idea in a more creative way and give more expressiveness to your speeches.
We know that time is money, so let’s stop talking and get to the examples of metaphors.
Short metaphors
You probably already know what metaphors are, since we have been using them since we were little, even without realizing it. Besides, you may have heard examples of metaphors in sayings and poems, among other texts.
But, if you need a refresher, we can say that the meaning of metaphor according to the RAE is: “translation of the straight sense of a voice to a figurative one, by virtue of a tacit comparison”
what do you think if we see some examples of short metaphors for a better understanding?
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1. It’s sizzling
This metaphor refers to an angry person.
2. They’ve got him under the magnifying glass
In other words, he is being watched.
3. I was hit by the news
This metaphor example is used to say that an event affected a person.
4. My light bulb went on
An idea came up.
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5. The flame that beats in his chest
This metaphorical phrase refers to the heart.
6. I fell into a depression
These metaphorical words are used when a person begins to feel depressed.
7. Life is a dream
It relates to a pleasant life.
8. The snows of time silvered his temple
Metaphor that speaks of gray hair.
9. The project is in diapers
It is something very recent.
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10. The driving test was a gift
One of the most common metaphor examples to say that something was easy.
11. My son is the light that illuminates my days
In other words, “it’s the reason for living”.
12. The windows of the soul
Common metaphor for the eyes.
13. For my birthday, I was showered with gifts
It is very common to use the verb “llover” in examples of metaphors that refer to things that arrived unintentionally and in great quantity.
14. Your voice is music to my ears
It is a very pleasant voice.
15. There’s a long road ahead
That is, a great period of time.
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16. She’s in the clouds
Used in examples of metaphors referring to a very clueless person
17.He’s walking through walls
He is very nervous.
18. My friend is a sun
Example of metaphor to say that he is a good person.
19. This beach is paradise
It’s a very nice place.
20.His heart is huge
She is a good person.
21. My hands are clean
Metaphorical expression to indicate that a person has no relation to a matter.
22. He plucked up courage and went to speak out
He took courage.
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23. you can’t be so blind!
In other words, “something is happening in front of you and you don’t see it.”
24. Looks like he lost a screw
Metaphor to indicate that a person has gone crazy.
25. Meaner than a snake
It is used to refer to a person who acts very wickedly.
26. I’m between a rock and a hard place.
Metaphorical phrase indicating that a person has no options to decide.
27. He’s gleaming
Referring to something that is very clean.
Love metaphors
Sentences with metaphors are perfect for expressing feelings in a not-so-direct way. Check out these examples of love metaphors, ideal for writing romantic stories!
28. His heart is a desert
That is, you don’t show your feelings.
29. You are the light of my eyes
Figure of speech to talk about a very important person.
30. For you, I’d climb to the moon
He would do anything.
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31. Feeling butterflies in my stomach
Metaphor that refers to being in love.
32. I’m crazy about her
It is very common to find examples of metaphors with this phrase. It talks about being very much in love.
33. She broke my heart
Metaphorical device related to a disappointment in love.
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34. She broke my soul
He felt very sorry for her.
35. Her heart jumped with happiness
He was very happy.
36. Her chest beat like a drum
His heart was pounding.
Life metaphors
Every day you should hear examples of metaphors referring to life and routine. Here are some metaphors with their meaning that you can use in texts that talk about everyday life.
37. There’s a long road ahead
It will be a long time before something happens.
38. Take life easy
don’t be nervous!
39. He’s fighting depression
Used in metaphor examples to talk about someone who is trying to get out of depression.
40. Time is money
time is worth a lot!
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41. My job is an ordeal
It’s a famous metaphor for saying you don’t like your job.
42. When I passed, I touched the sky with my hands
I was very happy.
43. The teachers enlighten us with their knowledge
I mean, they teach their students.
44. It’s in the prime of life
Example of a metaphor to indicate that a person is at his or her best.
45. To jump for joy
To be very happy.
46. Explode with happiness
Similar to the previous one, both are examples of metaphors to indicate happiness.
47. my head explodes!
Used when someone has a severe headache.
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Metaphors for children
According to the portal Psicología y Mente, the use of metaphors is very useful for children as it allows them to learn concepts that are difficult to understand. For example, when a person feels sad or lonely.
Let’s see some examples of children’s metaphors:
48. Cotton clouds
There are many examples of metaphors that relate objects, for example, by their color or shape.
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49. Crocodile tears
Used to indicate a false cry.
50. Went to heaven
This phrase is used in many examples of metaphors to indicate that someone died.
51. You’ve got to get your spirits up
Metaphor that speaks of someone who is very sad.
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52. You’ve got to get your act together
how many times have you heard examples of metaphors with this phrase? It means you need to start doing the work.
53. Steal a smile
Make someone laugh.
The use of visual metaphors is also recommended in the education of children, as visual thinking helps them retain concepts more easily.
Examples of sayings with metaphors
Finally, how about some examples of metaphors used as sayings?
54. The grass is always greener on the other side
It is common to compare one person to another using this metaphorical phrase.
55. He who does not run, flies
Metaphor phrase to indicate that there is always someone ready to take advantage of something.
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Examples of metaphors in poems
Poetic writing uses lots and lots of rhetorical figures, including metaphor. Let’s look at some examples of metaphors in poems.
56. “To the mill of love, happy the girl goes, to grind her hopes.”
Metaphorical sentence by Tirso de Molina.
57. “The wind of anguish still sweeps them away”
Metaphorical verses by Pablo Neruda.
58. “Her hair is gold, her forehead is Elysian fields”
Example of simple metaphor in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.
59. “There is still fire in your soul, there is still life in your dreams”.
Mario Benedetti is the author of these examples of metaphors.
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Importance of metaphors
With the short metaphor examples we discussed you’ve surely learned a little more about how metaphors work. However, beyond how funny they can sometimes be, metaphors are important for learning, for developing imagination, and for acquiring creative writing skills.
In fact, in the book Metaphors in Use, published by the Biblios publishing house, we find that examples of metaphors are analyzed by very diverse fields of study such as psychology, philosophy, language sciences and anthropology, among others.
Examples of metaphors have been used since antiquity, and we can find evidence of them both in Aristotle’s texts and in those of contemporary thinkers. We have no doubt that metaphorical phrases will continue to be used for the same purpose they have been used for thousands of years, and that the interest in learning what they mean or how they work will remain alive throughout time.
Here we will explain why examples of metaphors are important for literature and how they serve as a tool for learning.
Metaphors in literature
Metaphorical phrases are one of the most important elements of literature, whether they are novels, academic texts or poetry. Thanks to them a reader can better understand what is in the text, and visually imagine each of the metaphors a writer uses.
In addition, they are an excellent resource for the writer to enrich his text and give it a personalized touch. In a way, we can say that metaphors serve to connect with the other and speak in a language that is easier to understand. Let’s look at this example of metaphor that we find in the Iliad:
“Already the sun was wounding the fields with its rays.”
Homer’s example of metaphor gives greater power to the text, especially because when we read it, we can understand that it is about a field beautifully illuminated by a solar brightness.
There is no way to think of literature without metaphors, and we are sure that the world would not be the same without them.
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Metaphors as a learning tool
In the book The heart is a spring: metaphors and other tools to improve our education we find a clear reference to the importance of metaphorical phrases for learning at any level. Mainly because examples of metaphors stimulate the imagination and, therefore, creativity. Pablo Boullosa, author of the book we have just mentioned, tells us the following:
“Not only is it useful in creative professions and for social change, but it is also often indispensable for one of the most important mental operations: understanding.”
Boullosa also tells us that metaphor examples are useful because they allow us to compare a complicated concept with something we already understand. It is a useful tool for both the person explaining and the person receiving the explanation.
Some people even say that we only understand something well when we can use some examples of metaphors to explain it.
Metaphors are also a way of understanding reality, and beyond its use in rhetoric and poetry, it is a very useful tool to explain concepts that sometimes can be very abstract.
Tips for writing metaphors
After having seen so many examples of metaphors, we are sure you are thinking of inventing and writing your own. Therefore, we leave you with a small list of recommendations that will be useful to get the most out of metaphorical phrases and start getting recognition for your writing skills.
Do not overuse metaphors too much
We know that the examples of metaphors we shared with you are very good, and that you are probably thinking of writing some similar ones in everything you write from now on. However, we recommend you to be cautious with the use of metaphorical phrases, because overdoing it with metaphors can make a text incomprehensible.
There is no exact measure of how many to use, but you can see some examples of metaphors in literary works so that you can understand when they are relevant.
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Try to make them coherent
Another point you can take as a reference from our examples of metaphors, is the ease with which they can be understood. No matter how many people you ask about the metaphors we leave you in the article, we are sure that most of them will be able to understand what they mean.
That is, your metaphors should be understood in a simple way. If you only understand them, then you have to study better the examples of short metaphors to learn how they are made.
Write useful and illustrative metaphors
You should also keep in mind that metaphorical phrases should always have a very well-defined use. It doesn’t matter if they are love metaphors or life metaphors, their usefulness is what gives them meaning.
Remember that they can be used for educational purposes or to better illustrate something that may seem very complex at first glance. Ideally, you should first define what it is you want to explain or achieve, and after that you can construct the metaphorical phrases that best suit what you need.
Strive to make creative metaphors
Although we leave you many examples of short metaphors, our recommendation is that you use them as a reference only. It is not worth trying to copy them, adapt them, or make metaphors that sound too cliché.
If you want your work to stand out and your readers to think for a while about what you wrote, the best thing you can do is to give free rein to your creativity.
Writing is a very personal way of expressing yourself, so try to find your own voice and your own metaphors to explain your way of understanding reality.
Practice with as many examples of metaphors as possible
The saying that practice makes perfect has not survived throughout history by chance, so spend some time polishing your writing skills. Don’t be satisfied with the examples of short metaphors we shared with you, look for more examples in literature and poetry books.
You can even find metaphors in political speeches. The idea is that you learn to recognize them easily and become familiar with them, so you can master the art of writing using metaphors and engage readers.
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Now that you know some examples of metaphors, writing creative texts will be much easier.