Eight Types of Figurative Language With Examples

The eight types of figurative language taught most often in K-8 are simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, alliteration, idiom, and imagery. At Chalkbox, we build free printable tools and guides for teachers and parents, and we write our own example sentences instead of quoting books. In every type, the words mean more than they literally say, the way "the classroom was a zoo" describes noise and not animals.

Types of Figurative Language With Examples

Every type of figurative language below has a one-line definition and three original example sentences, and the five types with their own Chalkbox page link to longer lists.

Simile

A simile compares two different things using the explicit connecting words like or as.

1. The cold winter wind felt as sharp as a needle.
2. Her little brother ran like a cheetah across the soccer field.
3. The pond water was as clear as glass under the morning sun.

Explore dozens of additional model sentences in our collection of simile examples.

Metaphor

A metaphor states that one thing is another thing to highlight a shared characteristic without using like or as.

1. The classroom was a bustling beehive during science lab.
2. The golden sun was a warm blanket over the quiet valley.
3. My old computer is a stubborn mule that refuses to work.

Personification

Personification gives human actions, traits, or feelings to animals, inanimate objects, or natural phenomena.

1. The angry storm pounded its fists against the window glass.
2. Tall sunflowers turned their faces toward the morning light.
3. The wooden stairs groaned under the heavy load of boxes.

See more model sentences in our guide to personification examples.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole uses extreme, deliberate exaggeration to make a point or create dramatic humor.

1. I have told you to clean this room a million times today.
2. This heavy backpack weighs ten tons.
3. We waited in line at the grocery store for an eternity.

Review more kid-friendly exaggerations in our collection of hyperbole examples.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate or suggest the actual physical sound they describe.

1. The dry twigs snapped and crackled under our boots in the forest.
2. Water began to drip and plop into the metal bucket.
3. The basketball swooshed cleanly through the net.

Find additional sound words in our list of onomatopoeia examples.

Alliteration

Alliteration repeats the same initial consonant sound at the start of multiple words in close succession.

1. Six swift swallows soared south across the summer sky.
2. Peter picked plump purple plums from the garden path.
3. Cold winter winds whipped wild waves against the rocks.

Read more phrases in our guide to alliteration examples.

Idiom

An idiom is a common phrase whose established figurative meaning differs entirely from the literal definitions of its individual words.

1. Finishing that five-question math quiz was a piece of cake.
2. Please do not let the cat out of the bag before the surprise party.
3. We had to hit the books every evening before the state history test.

Imagery

Imagery uses descriptive language that appeals directly to the five physical senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

1. The warm apple pie filled the kitchen with the sweet aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar.
2. Bright neon signs flickered against the damp, rain-soaked pavement.
3. The rough wool sweater tickled my neck throughout the morning.

Understanding the Difference Between Figurative and Literal Language

Literal language states exact facts, while figurative language uses imaginative comparisons and non-literal descriptions to express meaning. When speakers use literal language, listeners take every word at face value. In contrast, figurative language requires readers to interpret underlying meanings and make mental connections.

Look at how the same situation changes across these two paired examples:

• Pair 1 (Weather): Literal: The temperature outside dropped below freezing, and cold rain fell for two hours. Figurative: The icy rain stabbed at our cheeks like thousands of tiny needles.
• Pair 2 (Emotion): Literal: Marco felt very nervous and frightened before walking onto the auditorium stage. Figurative: Marco had a swarm of wild butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

In the first pair, the literal sentence reports objective weather data. The figurative version uses a simile to show what that rain felt like against bare skin. In the second pair, the literal sentence names an emotional state. The figurative sentence uses an idiom to paint a physical sensation that readers recognize immediately.

Comparing Metaphors and Similes in Descriptive Writing

Similes and metaphors both compare two distinct things, but a simile uses explicit comparison words while a metaphor makes a direct substitution. A simile relies on signal words like or as to build a bridge between two subjects. A metaphor omits those signal words and treats one subject as if it were the other.

Because metaphors leave out connecting words, they create a stronger, more direct image. Review these five extra metaphor examples:

1. His heart was a stone when he refused to share his lunch.
2. The calm lake was a silver mirror reflecting the mountain ridge.
3. Time is a thief that steals away sunny afternoons.
4. The city streets were a confusing maze of honking cars.
5. Her cheerful laughter was music in the quiet library.

Changing a simile into a metaphor changes the tone of a sentence. Saying that a runner ran like a cheetah compares two actions. Saying that the runner was a cheetah asserts complete transformation, making the description more immediate.

How to Find Figurative Language in Reading Passages

To find figurative language in a passage, ask whether each descriptive sentence could be true word for word. Students can follow a clear four-step process to spot and analyze these devices:

1. Flag statements that are physically impossible. If an author writes that a character exploded with laughter or that the moon smiled down on a village, the description cannot be literal.
2. Search for explicit comparison signal words. Scan the sentence for the words like or as linking two different objects or actions to identify similes quickly.
3. Use surrounding text clues to determine true intent. Examine neighboring sentences using context clues to decide whether the author is describing an emotion, a setting, or an intentional exaggeration.
4. Identify which physical senses the description activates. If a phrase prompts you to picture a specific texture, scent, or sound, classify the technique as sensory imagery or onomatopoeia.

Classroom Activities for Practicing Figurative Language

Hands-on classroom activities help elementary and middle school students identify figurative devices and apply them in their own writing. Pick one of these five:

• Device sorting stations. Label four containers with device names such as hyperbole, simile, personification, and idiom. Hand students printed sentence strips and have them place each strip into the correct container.
• Literal illustration pairs. Give students a paper folded down the center to translate idioms into pictures. On the left side, have them draw the literal meaning of an idiom like "raining cats and dogs" or "spilling the beans." On the right side, have them draw what the phrase actually means. This visual exercise clarifies why figurative phrases cannot be taken literally.
• Write-your-own sentence expansion. Provide a basic, literal starter sentence such as "The car moved fast down the highway." Challenge students to rewrite the sentence using three different devices, such as a simile ("The car moved like an arrow"), a metaphor ("The car was a silver rocket"), and onomatopoeia ("The tires screeched on the pavement").
• Device review bingo. Enter device names, definitions, and short example sentences into our free bingo card generator to print unique game cards. The bingo card generator needs at least 24 unique items for five-by-five cards. It has no built-in caller, so read the clues aloud while students scan their boards for matching terms and examples.
• Rhyme and riddle connection games. Pair device study with poetry or rhyming words to show how alliteration and imagery function in verse. You can also introduce descriptive word play through riddles for kids to train students in analyzing hidden meanings before reading full literature passages.

To check the whole set of devices at once, type "figurative language" into our AI quiz generator and edit the draft quiz before you print it.

Pick three sentences from the next story you read together, name the device in each one, and then rewrite each sentence in plain, literal words.