Metaphor
[/ˈmɛtəfər/ or /ˈmɛtəfɔːr/]
nounfemininepl: metaphors / metáforas
metáfora
1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, used for rhetorical or poetic effect
The world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
O mundo é um palco, e todos os homens e mulheres são meramente atores.
2. Something regarded as representing something else; a symbol or emblem
The journey became a metaphor for personal growth.
A jornada se tornou uma metáfora para o crescimento pessoal.
3. A thing that is symbolic of something else, especially something abstract
Her paintings are a metaphor for the chaos of modern life.
Seus quadros são uma metáfora para o caos da vida moderna.
Metaphor is fundamental to both English and Portuguese literary traditions. In Brazilian Portuguese literature, metaphor is extensively used in poetry (particularly in modernist movements), while in American English, metaphor permeates everyday speech and business language. The concept is equally valued in educational contexts across both cultures as a key tool for creative expression and critical thinking.
Related Idioms & Phrases
dead metaphor - a metaphor that has been used so often it is no longer striking (metáfora morta)
mixed metaphor - a metaphor that combines two incompatible or incongruous comparisons (metáfora mista)
metaphorically speaking - used to indicate that what is being said is not literal (falando metaforicamente)
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