A comparison that uses the words “like” or “as” is a simile. Similes make a comparison explicit, as in “her voice was like music” or “the runner was as quick as a deer.” They usually connect two unlike things to create a vivid image or highlight a particular quality.
The word simile comes from the Latin similis, meaning “similar” or “like.” Similes appear in everyday speech, advertising, poetry, novels, and speeches. A well-known literary form is the Homeric or epic simile, an extended comparison that may continue for several lines or sentences and add a miniature scene to a narrative.
Similes are often contrasted with metaphors. “The child is like a whirlwind” is a simile because the comparison is marked by “like,” while “the child is a whirlwind” is a metaphor because the comparison is implied directly. A literal statement such as “a wolf is like a dog” may compare real similarities without being figurative, so the presence of “like” alone does not always guarantee an imaginative comparison.