World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesSimile
/ˈsɪm.ɪ.li/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid, typically using 'like' or 'as'.
"Her smile was as bright as the sun is a classic example of a simile." - 2
The use of such comparative figures of speech in rhetoric or poetry.
"The author's rich prose relies heavily on the evocative power of simile and metaphor."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Latin word 'similis', meaning 'like' or 'similar', entering Middle English via Old French in the 14th century. The term originally denoted general likeness before narrowing in literary theory to specifically denote figures of speech comparing two different things using 'like' or 'as'.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Simile" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
simile
Transliteration: si.mil
"Cette poésie utilise un simile frappant."
Vergleich
Transliteration: fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪç
"Das Gedicht enthält einen schönen Vergleich."
similitudine
Transliteration: si.mi.liˈtu.di.ne
"La similitudine rende il testo più espressivo."
símil
Transliteration: ˈsi.mil
"El poema comienza con un símil memorable."
símile
Transliteration: ˈsi.mi.li
"O autor utilizou um símile para descrever a noite."
उपमा
Transliteration: upama
"कविता में एक सुंदर उपमा का प्रयोग किया गया है।"
明喻
Transliteration: míng yù
"这句话使用了一个生动的明喻。"
직유
Transliteration: jig-yu
"시 속에서 직유가 효과적으로 사용되었습니다."
直喩
Transliteration: chokuyu
"その詩は美しい直喩を含んでいます。"
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Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
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