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Ever wonder what makes creative writing, well, creative? A big part of creative writing is coming up with a compelling way to express something. And similes and metaphors can be especially helpful when trying to do this. But what exactly are similes and metaphors? More importantly, what is the main difference between a simile and metaphor?

This comprehensive simile vs metaphor guide answers both these questions and gives you several examples so you can learn how to differentiate between these two key literary devices. This article also includes key tips for using similes and metaphors in your own writing.

Simile vs Metaphor: How Do They Differ?

Both similes and metaphors are literary devices used by writers to compare two unalike things, ideas, actions, etc. in a non-literal manner. The two things being compared typically have one thing in common but are completely different in all other respects.

People use similes and metaphors to make their writing more descriptive, more persuasive, more poetic, and more emphatic. Similes and metaphors are often used in fiction/prose, poetry, and song lyrics.

So what is the main difference between a simile and metaphor? Although the two devices are very similar—both serve the exact same purpose of comparing two different things in a figurative (non-literal) way—metaphors and similes are not identical.

A simile is a type of metaphor that specifically uses the words "as" or "like" to make a comparison between two things. This usually takes the form of "A is like B" or "A is as (insert adjective) as B."

By contrast, metaphors do not use the words "as" or "like." For example, you could write, "A is B" to make your comparison, even though A is not literally the same thing as B.

The main takeaway here is that all similes are metaphors but not all metaphors are similes.