Simile - GCSE English Language Definition

What is a simile?

In GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language, a simile is a literary device that is used to compare two things that share a common quality, using the words “like” or “as”. 

Why do writers use similes?

A simile is an example of figurative language, which helps a writer add more meaning or  non-literal meaning to the thing they are describing. 

Writers use similes to enrich their description, by highlighting its specific qualities or adding extra meaning to the thing they are describing. They do this to create a specific effect for their readers: it can add an emotional quality to their writing, or it can make the description more vivid or engaging.

Examples of similes

“As cold as ice”

This simple simile suggests something is cold because the thing it’s being compared to — “ice” — is very cold.

“Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath it” — Lady Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5

In the first act of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth commands her husband to look like an “innocent flower” when King Duncan arrives at their castle. This simile suggests he should look pleasant and totally unthreatening to his king (just like a flower), despite his plan to murder him.