Analogy

What Is an Analogy? (with Examples)

An analogy is the comparison of two similar ideas in order to explain one.

Examples of Analogies

Here are some examples of analogies:

  • This is not considered a good course of action; it would be like throwing the pilot out to make the plane lighter.
  • Selling lucky heather in these hills is like trying to sell sand to the Arabs.
  • Similes and Metaphors

    The most common form for an analogy is a simile or a metaphor.

    Simile. A simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another. For example: Read more about similes.

    Metaphor.A metaphor is a figure of speech which asserts that one thing is something that it literally is not. For example: Read more about metaphors.

    ANALOGIES ARE USEFUL

    Used sparingly in business writing (e.g., once in a document), analogies can: Here is an example of how an analogy might look in a business document:


    Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons
    Please tell us using this form.

    See Also

    What are similes? What are metaphors? Glossary of grammatical terms