Be More Descriptive with Metaphors

A metaphor is when you say one thing is another thing. You probably already use them even if you do not know what they are.

My daughter is a jewel.

The girl is not really a jewel . . . she is not really a diamond or ruby!  You just mean she is pretty like a jewel, or very precious like a jewel.

This old car is a battleship.

Of course a car is not a battleship!  You mean the car is big and heavy like a battleship, not sleek and shiny like a new car.

We are wild lions defending our goal in the final seconds of the soccer game.

Lions are considered powerful and even noble (“kings of the jungle”), so clearly this metaphor shows the strength and determination of the team.

Remember: a metaphor is saying one thing is another thing, and you do this to compare them and show something about the first thing.