| 1. | a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.” Compare metaphor. |
| 2. | an instance of such a figure of speech or a use of words exemplifying it. |
A common figure of speech that explicitly compares two things usually considered different. Most similes are introduced by like or as: “The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.” (Compare metaphor.)
Note: Some similes, such as “sleeping like a log,” have become clichés.