Definition of: simile

(sim′ə·lē) noun
A rhetorical figure expressing comparison or likeness, by the use of such terms as like, as, so, etc.: distinguished from metaphor and comparison proper. [<L, neut. of similis similar] Synonyms: comparison, figure, illustration, image, imagery, likeness, metaphor, similitude, symbol. The simile carries its note of comparison on the surface, in the words as, like, such as, or similar expressions; the metaphor is given directly without any note of comparison. “God is like a rock” is a simile; “God is a rock” is a metaphor. In order that a comparison may become a simile, objects of different classes must be compared, bringing in some imaginative element. To say, “The Hudson is like the Rhine” is not simile, but direct and literal comparison; but to say, “The Hudson flows like the march of time” is to lift the river out of its class and associate it with a great elemental conception, and thus to transform the comparison into a simile. Similitude is broader in meaning than simile or metaphor, and may include direct and literal comparison. Compare ALLEGORY, ANALOGY, EMBLEM.