A simile is a particular type of metaphor that compares two objects that are essentially not like one another. A simile, unlike a metaphor, introduces this comparison with the words “like” or “as.”
My essay’s introduction is like the first sip of a fine wine—that is a simile; My essay’s introduction is the first sip of a fine wine—that is a metaphor. Used sparingly, similes can help your statements stand out and evoke thought-provoking images for your reader:
- The fast food industry’s attempts to offer healthy menu options are like the 11th hour plea bargain of a death row inmate.
- “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness” (Orwell 316). [1]
