120 Figurative Language Examples to Spice Up Your Writing

Figurative language is when words are used in a creative or non-literal way to express ideas, create images, or stir emotion. You could say it rained, or you could say the sky cracked open and wept. Same event, different feeling.

Here are a few familiar tools:

• Metaphor: one thing is another
• Simile: one thing is like another
• Personification: objects doing human things
• Hyperbole: dramatic, on-purpose exaggeration
• Alliteration: sounds that echo in sequence

In this article, you'll get the most common types with quick, clear figurative language examples, so you don't just know what they are, but how and when to use them. 

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What Is a Figurative Language?

Figurative language is the way of writing that bends words to express meaning more uniquely. When you want to say something simple, plain language sometimes makes it sound flat. To avoid this, language has evolved to let a feeling, moment, idea, or opinion come off stronger. 

For example, if you're tired, you might say you're running empty. That doesn't mean you literally are empty, but you're not lying either. You're telling the truth, but with more depth and expression. 

If you're writing with metaphors, similes, or other writing tools, and want to be sure it sounds human, you can always run it through EssayPro's AI essay detector.

Why Use Figurative Language?

Simply put, writing without it feels like painting in just black and white. Well, you can go without figurative language, but why not add color? 

Figurative language adds tone, shape, and emotion. Think about a book line you've never forgotten. Odds are, it wasn't the most logical one, but the one that hit a nerve (figuratively, of course). Writers use it because sometimes, the most straightforward way to say something is through something else entirely. When done right, it not only says what happened but also makes you live it. 

Types of Figurative Language

Writers turn to figurative language when plain sentences start to feel dull. These tools stretch meaning and twist sound, bringing a little heat into your words. You've probably heard them all before, but knowing how they work is what counts. Below are the eight different types of figurative language:

1. Metaphor is when you stop explaining and just declare it. You don't say love feels like a battlefield; you say it is one. It's direct and bold. And when it works, something becomes something, not just a description. 
2. Simile is the gentler cousin of metaphor. It draws a connection without fusing the two things completely. Her laugh was like broken glass. His words were as cold as winter air. It's not as hardcore as a metaphor, but sometimes what you need is that softness exactly.
3. Personification gives the world a heartbeat. You can say that the wind sighs, the moon watches, or the couch begs you not to leave. There's seemingly no logic here, but it surely creates a mood. 
4. Hyperbole is exaggeration with no shame. You're not hungry, you could eat a horse;  That test didn't take long, it lasted a thousand years. Hyperbole is always over-the-top on purpose, and most of the time, it's that very exaggeration that makes something truly believable.
5. Alliteration is where sound takes the lead. The same starting letters are strung together for rhythm or emphasis. Think soft sand slipping through fingers or cold, crisp, crackling leaves. It puts the sound of words first, followed by the actual meaning.
6. Onomatopoeia is about sounds, too, but it's the sound in the word, such as buzz, snap, splash, etc. What's happening is less important than how you hear it.
7. Allusion is the quiet nod. You don't explain the whole reference, but trust the reader to catch it. You may call someone a Scrooge or say this moment feels like Pandora's box, and wait for the reader to understand the reference. 
8. Idioms are phrases that don't make sense if you were to break them down, but somehow everyone gets them. You might say you're under the weather or someone is beating around the bush. In that way, they share something with homonyms examples, where words look or sound alike but carry different meanings, adding layers of playfulness or confusion to language. It's second-nature to native speakers, but completely wild when you think about it.

Figurative Language Examples

Definitions are fine, but examples of figurative language are where things start to make sense. Figurative language is difficult enough to understand, let alone without seeing it in action. This section breaks it down by type, with figurative language examples sentences you can use (or recognize when a writer is flexing). 

Metaphor Examples

• Time is a thief: You don't notice what's gone until it's already taken.
• His mind was a prison: Not a great place to be, and no easy way out.
• That test was a nightmare: Not just brutal. It stuck with you in all the wrong ways.
• Her voice is velvet: Soft, warm, and dangerous if you're not careful.
• Hope is a candle in the dark: Small, but enough to keep going.
• The classroom was a zoo: Chaos with a bell schedule.
• The world's a stage: Everyone's acting, even when no one's watching.
• His anger was a storm: Loud, fast, and likely to leave damage behind.
• Her eyes were ice: Pretty, maybe, but not the kind you get close to.
• The city is a jungle: Crowded, rough, and full of rules that don't come with a manual.
• That book is a rollercoaster: You think you're fine until you're not.
• My phone is a lifeline: Not just a connection, comfort, escape, or survival.
• The deal was a ticking time bomb: It seemed harmless until it wasn't.
• His smile was a lie: Bright on the surface and sharp underneath.
• Childhood is a blur: You remember the feeling, not the details.

Simile Examples

• Her voice was like honey: sweet like honey, but slow, warm, and hard to forget as well.
• He was as stubborn as an old stain: no matter what you did, he wasn't going anywhere.
• The clouds looked like cotton pulled apart too many times: soft, stretched, and tired.
• She moved like a thought you almost had: close enough to notice, gone before you could name it. 
• His hands were cold as forgotten keys in winter: slight shock, nothing personal, just the way it was.
• The truth hit like the bottom step when you think there's one more: fast, stupid, and enough to throw you.
• That rumor spread like gas near a match: one spark was enough to suddenly make it too late.
• He slept like someone who didn't owe the morning anything: deep, still, unreachable.
• Her thoughts ran like kids off a bus: loud, fast, no real direction.
• The room went quiet like it had something to hide: not peace, just pressure.
• He fought like someone who knew this was his last shot: not clean, not careful, just necessary.
• Her logic was clear as a fogged-up mirror: you could see it, but not really.
• Her grin was like a secret she wanted you to guess wrong: sharp, amused, unkind.
• That day dragged like your feet after a long goodbye: slow, messy, and full of weight.
• Their laughter spilled like soda knocked over: quick, sticky, hard to clean up.

Hyperbole Examples

• I've told you a million times: not true, but that's how it feels when you keep repeating yourself.
• I was quaking from head to foot: the fear isn't literal, but the image gets the point across.
• I'll love you till the end of time: dramatic, yes, but the line wants to prove how serious it is.
• I've been waiting for this day my entire life: maybe it wasn't that long, but to the speaker, it mattered more than most.
• Her brain felt like it had been twisted into a pretzel: not anatomically accurate, but that's what confusion does.
• She cried all night long: not the whole night, but enough to lose track of time.
• I'm so hungry I could eat a horse: no one's actually planning on it, but the hunger is real.
• He's older than the hills: not even close, but he seems like he's been around forever.
• This bag weighs a ton: exaggeration, but anyone who's carried one knows the truth behind it.
• I could sleep for a year: impossible, but tired enough to make you think you could.
• I ran faster than lightning: not really fast enough to outrun lightning, but it felt close.
• She had a smile that could light up the whole town: not light up in the sense of electricity, but something warmer.
• He had a heart the size of Texas: you need a map to describe his kindness.
• It was the worst day of my life: probably not true and too dramatic, but honest in the moment.
• My legs are going to fall off: not really, but they might as well, with how much they've been through.

If you want to see how this kind of language appears in student writing, this article on a research proposal example clearly explains it.

Alliteration Examples

• Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers: the P's pop, and the pattern pulls you in.
• Silent snakes slipped through the shadows: the S sound gives it that smooth, slithering feel.
• Daisy danced during December downpours: it's light, bouncy, and a little ridiculous, in the best way.
• Bobby bought blue balloons before brunch: not important what for, the rhythm sells it.
• Cold coffee can't compete with cocoa: the hard C keeps it punchy and fast.
• Whispers wandered through the winter woods: soft sounds that matched the quiet mood.
• The dusty driveway dragged on for days: that D repetition feels like trudging.
• Friendly foxes found food fast: the repetition speeds things up in your ear.
• Greedy goblins grabbed golden grapes: it sounds silly, but that's half the charm.
• Heavy hearts hang hopelessly: the H sound makes it feel heavier than it is.
• Lucy's laugh lit up the library: the sound is light, and so is the mood.
• Mark made messy maps in math class: chaos in five words, all wrapped in M.
• Rain rolled rapidly across the roof: you can almost hear it happening.
• Tim took ten tiny turtles to town: ridiculous, but you're not forgetting it.
• Wicked winds whipped the windowpanes: harsh W's that match the weather.

Onomatopoeia Examples

• The door creaked open slowly: the sound that makes you go 'I wish I hadn't looked back'. 
• Rain pattered against the glass: the sound that's quiet enough to ignore, but steady enough that you don't.
• The balloon popped in her hand: fast, gone before she flinched.
• Leaves crunched under our feet: a loud, dry sound, as if we were stepping on old paper.
• Bees buzzed around the flowers: that uneven hum that gets too close too fast.
• The pan sizzled when the eggs hit: hot metal talking back.
• Thunder rumbled across the sky: far off, but deep enough to reach your chest.
• The cat hissed from the corner: one quick sound, and suddenly the room got smaller.
• Fireworks boomed in the distance: slow echoes that felt bigger than the sky.
• The door slammed behind him: no words, just that sound filling in for everything he didn't say.
• Shoes squeaked on the gym floor: sharp, annoying, always when the room's already too quiet.
• The pencil snapped in half: just pressure, then crack. No buildup.
• Water gurgled down the drain: not clean, not smooth, like it was arguing on the way out.
• The clock ticked in the silence: nothing dramatic, but loud enough to make you feel late.
• The baby giggled at nothing: the kind of sound that pulls you in, even when you don't necessarily want to smile. 

Allusion Examples

• He's got a real Romeo thing going on: all charm, no plan, definitely a heartbreaker.
• This class is my personal Mount Everest: every week, I try to survive the climb.
• She walked in like she owned the place: think Regina George energy.
• It felt like opening Pandora's box: I made one decision and got a hundred problems I didn't ask for.
• He looked like he'd seen the ghost of Hamlet's dad: pale, jumpy, lost in his own head.
• I should've known better than to take financial advice from someone playing Monopoly rules: all talk, zero real-world results.
• We had one job and somehow turned it into the Titanic: too much drama for something simple. 
• She's been acting like she's got a golden ticket: In reality, it's just a regular internship.
• He called himself a tortured artist, but it was giving more Holden Caulfield than Picasso: mostly complaints, no canvas.
• Felt like we were trapped in a Hunger Games group project: everyone smiling but secretly scheming.
• She said she was fine, but it screamed 'Ophelia in Act IV': something was unraveling, and fast.
• It was supposed to be simple, but we went full Trojan horse: opened the door, let the problem walk right in.
• The hallway was pure Lord of the Flies: no teachers, no rules, just chaos.
• He kept quoting The Art of War in casual conversation: At some point, it becomes more exhausting than strategic.
• She made it sound like the Manhattan Project: but we were just trying to pass bio.

Idiom Examples

• Pulling my leg: he told me our exam got pushed to next week, and I almost believed him, until I saw the smirk.
• Throw shade: Even though she didn't say my outfit was ugly, the way she said 'bold choice' counted. 
• Hit the books: I put my phone in another room, opened the textbook, and stared at the same sentence for twenty minutes.
• Break a leg: she said it before my presentation and then added, 'but not literally,' as if I needed clarification.
• Cold feet: he was totally ready to give the speech until his name was called, and he forgot how walking works.
• Go the extra mile: she already finished the project and then made a slideshow.
• In hot water: I made one sarcastic joke and now I'm apparently on thin ice with the entire group chat.
• Let sleeping dogs lie: I could've brought up what she said last week, but I like peace.
• Up in the air: we have weekend plans, kind of. No one's confirmed anything, and everyone's 'seeing how they feel.'
• On the same page: after twenty texts, three edits, and a call, we finally understood what the assignment actually was.
• Bite off more than you can chew: I offered to help two friends move in the same weekend, and now I can't feel my arms.
• Face the music: I turned in the wrong file, and when my professor emailed me back, my stomach fell into my shoes.
• Off the hook: I forgot the homework, but so did everyone else. Group grace saved me.
• Under your nose: the book I'd been looking for was on my desk the whole time.‍
• Hit the jackpot: I randomly picked a vending machine snack and got two for the price of one.

If you're exploring how figurative language fits into your bigger project, each research design example in this article will help you better understand it all.

Final Words

Figurative language makes our writing and speech unique and adds character. Here's what you should take away from this article: metaphors and similes are shortcuts to communicating meaning; with hyperboles and idioms, you make your voice louder without raising the volume; alliteration and onomatopoeia add rhythm, mood, and movement to your writing; personification gives the inanimate objects a pulse.

And if you've ever thought your writing felt stiff, EssayPro's AI text generator and real writers can help with support that doesn't feel like a template.

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