metaphor
US /ˈmet̬.ə.fɔːr/
UK /ˈmet̬.ə.fɔːr/
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.
:
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The phrase 'drowning in debt' is a common metaphor.
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Her smile was a ray of sunshine, a beautiful metaphor for her joyful spirit.