This page was first created on the 3rd of June, 2016 and last updated on the 4th of May, 2017 by Patrick Carpen.
“The simile” is a literary device which helps writers to communicate more effectively.
Related: What’s the difference between a figure of speech and a literary device?
The simile strikes a comparison between two things with the use of the word “like” or “as”, for example: The dress is as white as snow.
In the above sentence, the writer makes use of the common knowledge of the snow’s color to paint a clearer, brighter picture in the reader’s mind. If the writer had written “the dress is very white”, it would have left too much to the reader’s imagination, since there is an almost infinite variation of whiteness.
Of course, the writer could have written “absolutely white” and gotten across his point just as accurately. Accurately, but not as effectively or poetically. Literary devices such as the simile add both spice and rhythm to both speech and writing. Below is a list of similes I have compiled from various resources.
as red as crimson
as brave as a lion
They fight like cats and dogs.
as funny as a barrel of monkeys
as clean as a whistle
as strong as an ox
as easy as shooting fish in a barrel
as solid as the ground we stand on
as nutty as a fruitcake
He just sat there like a bump on a log
as different as night and day
as thin as a toothpick
He slept like a log.
The statement fits the situation like a glove fits a hand
He stood out of the crowd like a sore thumb.
as deep as the ocean.
as dry as a bone
as bold as brass
as bright as a button
as shiny as a new pin
as cold as ice
as common as dirt
as cool as a cucumber
as hard as nails
as hot as hell
as innocent as a lamp
as large as life
as light as a feather
as tall as a giraffe
as tough as nails
as white as a ghost
as sweet as sugar
as sure as death and taxes
as sweet as honey
as bitter as gall
as deaf as a post
as slow as a snail
as hot as the desert
as quick as a blink
as cunning as a fox
as rich as money
as smart as a scientist
as big as a ship
as warm as a ray of sunshine
as refreshing as a smile (by Patrick Carpen)
as stupid as a fool
as black as pitch
as beautiful as a rainbow
as round as the moon
as tall as a giraffe
as royal as a queen
as stately as the White House (Patrick Carpen)
as colorful as the rainbow
as wild as a beast
as sweet as sugar
as cool as ice
as wise as king Solomon
as crazy as cat
as smelly as rotten cheese
like a pack of wild animals
as proud as a peacock
as gentle as a dove
as safe as gold
as small as an ant
she hung her head like a dying flower
as vast as the ocean
as blue as the sky
as dirty as a pig
as bright as the sun
as easy as 1, 2, 3
as quick as a wink
as strong as a rhino
as unruly as a puppy
the situation was like a ticking time bomb
as good as knowledge (Patrick Carpen)
as black as coal
as caring as a mother
as graceful as a ballerina
as strong as a superhero
as smart as Einstein
as bright as the sun
as white as milk
as sweet as cherry pie
as hot as molten lava
as dangerous as a loaded gun
as calm as a river
as sharp as razor
as shiny as diamonds
as fast as cheetah
a close as family
as fast as the wind
as wide as the ocean
shining like the stars
as menacing as a storm (Patrick Carpen)
as stubborn as a mule
as smooth as silk
as beautiful as an angel
he mimics like a parrot
as slippery as an eel.
as warm as a smile
as stupid as sheep
as loud as a drill
as busy as a bee
as fast as a cheetah
as fit as a fiddle
as excited as a child with a new toy
as flat as a pancake
as cold as a killer
as infrequent as rain in the desert
like water on a duck’s back
as mean as a bear rubbed of her cubs
as clear as crystal
as sly as a fox
