Metaphor-Simile | Commonly Confused Words

Metaphor

/ˈmetəfə/

A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Religious metaphors abound.But there's more to the muscle metaphor.The 'journey' metaphor illuminates life's unpredictability.

This word has no antonyms

/ˈsɪməli/

A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'

Her smile was as bright as the sun itself.The garden was as lively as a bustling city market.His voice was as smooth as velvet curtains falling.

Similes make a direct comparison using like or as, whereas metaphors do not.
A simile is like a direct comparison: Her smile is like the sun.
A metaphor implies the comparison without explicit words: Her smile is the sun.
Remember simile has an L in it, just like like.
Metaphors can be more subtle and are often used to signify one thing in place of another.