What is Simile in Literature? (Definition)
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as.' Unlike a metaphor, which states that one thing is another, a simile acknowledges the separateness of the two things being compared while drawing attention to a specific similarity between them.
Similes create vivid images by connecting the unfamiliar to the familiar. They are often easier to spot than metaphors because of the signal words 'like' or 'as,' but analysing why the writer chose this particular comparison—what qualities transfer from one thing to the other—is the key to strong literary analysis.
Examples of Simile
Example 1: Simile in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo compares Juliet to a jewel set against darkness. The simile emphasises both her preciousness and her visibility—she stands out against the night. The comparison to a jewel also suggests she is something to be possessed, foreshadowing the play's treatment of Juliet as an object of desire.
Example 2: Simile in Romeo and Juliet
Juliet compares her love to the ocean—vast, deep, and inexhaustible. The simile's power lies in the paradox that follows: 'the more I give to thee, the more I have.' Unlike finite resources, love in this simile is infinite—a direct challenge to the transactional relationships surrounding her.
Example 3: Simile in Great Expectations
Dickens compares Mrs Joe's habits of self-care to a nutmeg-grater—a rough, abrasive kitchen tool used to shred food. The simile is comic on its surface, but it precisely captures the way her temperament grates on everyone around her, especially the young Pip. The kitchen setting of the comparison is part of its bite: she is the abrasive object the household has to live with.