Metaphor makes a comparison by equating one thing with another (as in "life is a journey"), or by creating an identification or fusion between two things (as in "burning desire"), while simile states that …

METAPHORICAL definition: involving, invoking, or intended to be taken as a metaphor, something used symbolically to represent something else, suggesting a comparison or resemblance. See examples …

Signs, signals and symbols (Definition of metaphorical from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

metaphorical adjective figurative, symbolic, emblematic, allegorical, emblematical, tropical (Rhetoric) The ship may be heading for the metaphorical rocks unless a buyer can be found.

Metaphors are most frequently compared with similes. A metaphor asserts the objects in the comparison are identical on the point of comparison, while a simile merely asserts a similarity through use of …

Definition of metaphorical adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

You use the word metaphorical to indicate that you are not using words with their ordinary meaning, but are describing something by means of an image or symbol.

Dec 14, 2025 · metaphorical (comparative more metaphorical, superlative most metaphorical) Pertaining to or characterized by a metaphor; figurative; symbolic.

Dec 19, 2025 · metaphor, figure of speech that implies comparison between two unlike entities, as distinguished from simile, an explicit comparison signalled by the words like or as. The distinction is …

Something is metaphorical when you use it to stand for, or symbolize, another thing. For example, a dark sky in a poem might be a metaphorical representation of sadness.