What is a Simile?

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things by using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ something else. They are compared indirectly.

Examples of Similes

White as a ghost.

Swims like a fish.

Runs like a cheetah.

Slippery as an eel.

A simile can be as descriptive as the writer chooses.

Examples of more descriptive similes

He was as brave as a lion in a fight.

He was as angry as a bull at a red flag.

He swam like a fish through rough waters.


Similes are used in poetry to create different effects, to create an image of comparison in the reader’s mind of what the writer is describing.

Why don’t you try writing a poem using similes and enter it into one of our poetry competitions.

For information on poetry terms other than an adjective visit our poetry glossary – poetry terms.