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

Imagine saying, ‘Time is a thief.’ This simple metaphor creates a strong image, showing how time slips away unnoticed, like a thief. A metaphor compares one thing to another to help explain ideas in a vivid and imaginative way. Metaphors like this are crucial in language proficiency exams, such as TOEFL iBT®, because they demonstrate a deep understanding of the language and make your speech and writing more expressive. 

In this blog, we’ll explore 20 common metaphors, explain their meanings, and show you how to 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.

We hope this list of 20 metaphors with meanings and examples helps you in your TOEFL preparation and day-to-day conversations. Start practising 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?