20 Essential Metaphors with Meanings & Examples to Enhance Your English Proficiency

Imagine saying, “Time is a thief.” This simple metaphor creates a powerful image, illustrating how time slips away unnoticed, like a thief. Metaphors compare one thing to another, helping to explain ideas in a vivid and imaginative way. They are essential in language proficiency exams like TOEFL iBT®, as they show a deep understanding of the language and make your speech and writing more expressive.

In this blog, let’s explore 20 Essential Metaphors with Meanings & Examples to help you use them effectively in your communication.

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20 Commonly Used Metaphors with Meanings & Examples

Here are 20 commonly used metaphors with their meanings and examples to help you strengthen your language proficiency and communicate more effectively:

1. Time is a thief

Meaning: Time flies away, often stealing the opportunities and experiences before you are ready.

Example: Anya is preparing for her TOEFL exam, but she feels like time is a thief as the weeks fly by without her noticing.

2. A rollercoaster of emotions

Meaning: Experiencing a lot of different emotions, often quickly and unpredictably.

Example: Alex's solo travelling adventures often felt like a rollercoaster of emotions, from excitement to loneliness, all in the span of a single day.

3. The world is your oyster

Meaning: There are so many opportunities available to you.

Example: After Blossom visited the art museum for the first time, she felt inspired and believed the world was her oyster.

4. A heart of stone

Meaning: Someone who is unemotional or cold.

Example: Despite Tom’s love for biking, his friend seemed to have a heart of stone because he refused to join him on their favourite trail.

5. A shining star

Meaning: Someone who stands out and is admired.

Example: Anya is a shining star in her TOEFL study group, always helping others with difficult questions.

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6. Life is a journey

Meaning: Life is full of experiences, and everyone has their own path.

Example: For Alex, life is a journey, and solo travelling is his way of discovering new parts of himself.

7. A breath of fresh air

Meaning: Refreshing or new; something that generally brings a change for good.

Example: When Blossom walked into the modern art gallery, it felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the traditional art she was used to.

8. The tip of the iceberg

Meaning: A small, visible part of something much larger.

Example: Anya's understanding of TOEFL speaking was just the tip of the iceberg—she knew she had more to learn about the reading section too.

9. A fish out of water

Meaning: Somebody in an unfamiliar situation.

Example: When Tom tried mountain biking for the first time, he felt like a fish out of water, struggling with the tough terrain.

10. Castles in the air

Meaning: Dreams or plans that are unrealistic or unlikely to happen.

Example: Alex sometimes worried that his dream of travelling the world solo might be just castles in the air.

11. Burning the midnight oil

Meaning: Working late into the night.

Example: As her TOEFL exam approached, Anya found herself burning the midnight oil, reviewing grammar rules and vocabulary lists.

12. The apple of someone’s eye

Meaning: Someone who is cherished or loved deeply.

Example: Tom’s younger sister was the apple of his eye, and he would always take her on biking adventures.

13. Walking on air

Meaning: To feel really happy or thrilled.

Example: After successfully completing his first solo trip, Alex was walking on air, proud of his newfound confidence.

14. The black sheep of the family

Meaning: Someone who is considered different or an outsider in their family.

Example: Blossom felt like the black sheep of the family because her passion for modern art didn’t align with her family’s traditional values.

15. The elephant in the room

Meaning: An important issue that everyone in a group is aware of, but nobody is talking about.

Example: As Anya's TOEFL exam date approached, the elephant in the room was her struggle with the listening section, which she hadn’t addressed yet.

16. A blanket of snow

Meaning: Snow covering everything in sight, giving the appearance of a white blanket.

Example: Tom woke up early to see a blanket of snow covering the trails, but he decided to bike through it anyway.

17. A light bulb moment

Meaning: A moment of sudden realisation or understanding.

Example: While reviewing a TOEFL speaking prompt, Anya had a light bulb moment and realized how to structure her response better.

18. A rough diamond

Meaning: Someone with potential who needs refining or development.

Example: Alex considered himself a rough diamond when it came to solo travelling, knowing he still had a lot to learn but had the potential to grow.

19. Food for thought

Meaning: Something that gives you a reason to think or reflect deeply.

Example: After visiting the art museum, Blossom had food for thought about how modern art could influence her own work.

20. A storm in a teacup

Meaning: A small problem blown out of proportion.

Example: Tom’s worry about his biking gear malfunctioning turned out to be a storm in a teacup—it was a minor issue easily fixed.

I hope this list of 20 Essential Metaphors with Meanings & Examples helps you in your TOEFL preparation and everyday communication. Start practicing these metaphors, and you’ll notice a significant improvement in your language proficiency!

Also Read: 

• Best Podcasts and Audio Resources for TOEFL® Listening Practice
• 10 Common TOEFL Mistakes You Must Avoid
• TOEFL Test Day: What to Expect and How to Prepare
• 10 Tips to Balance TOEFL iBT® Exam Preparation with a Full-Time Job
•  How to Send Your TOEFL iBT® Scores to Colleges?