metaphorical

met·a·phor  (mt-fôr, -fr)

n.

1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare).

2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: "Hollywood has always been an irresistible, prefabricated metaphor for the crass, the materialistic, the shallow, and the craven" (Neal Gabler).

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[Middle English methaphor, from Old French metaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek, transference, metaphor, from metapherein, to transfer : meta-, meta- + pherein, to carry; see bher-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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meta·phoric (-fôrk, -fr-), meta·phori·cal adj.

meta·phori·cal·ly adv.

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

metaphorical - expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another; "a metaphorical expression"; "metaphoric language" metaphoric figurative, nonliteral - (used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech; "figurative language"

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metaphorical

adjective figurative, symbolic, emblematic, allegorical, emblematical, tropical (Rhetoric) The ship may be heading for the metaphorical rocks unless a buyer can be found.

Translations

metaphorical [ˌmetəˈfɒrɪkəl] ADJ → metafórico

metaphorical [ˌmɛtəˈfɒrɪk^əl] adj (= figurative) → métaphorique

metaphorical

adj → metaphorisch