Similes, Metaphors & Word Meaning
Aligned to RL.5.4 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Figurative language paints pictures with words. A simile compares using 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor says one thing is another. Ask what the author really means.
Worked examples
Example 1
'The classroom was a zoo' is a metaphor — it means the room was noisy and wild, not that animals were inside.
Example 2
'Time crawled' is personification — time cannot crawl, but the phrase tells you exactly how the wait felt.
Example 3
Figurative language is a shortcut. 'The room went cold' after an argument says in four words what a paragraph would need.
Practice questions
- Write one simile describing how tired you feel.
- Explain what 'her words were ice' really means.
- Find a colorful phrase and tell its real meaning.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Símiles, Metáforas y Significado
El lenguaje figurado pinta imágenes con palabras. El símil compara usando 'como'; la metáfora dice que una cosa es otra. Pregúntate qué quiere decir de verdad el autor.
Ejemplo 1: 'El salón era un zoológico' es una metáfora — significa que el salón estaba ruidoso y alborotado, no que había animales adentro.
Ejemplo 2: 'El tiempo se arrastraba' es personificación — el tiempo no se arrastra, pero la frase te dice exactamente cómo se sintió la espera.
Ejemplo 3: El lenguaje figurado es un atajo. 'El cuarto se enfrió' después de una discusión dice en cuatro palabras lo que un párrafo necesitaría.
More Reading: Literature lessons
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