It is a figure of speech in which comparison between two different objects is implied but not expressed in a definite way. It is also called an implied or compressed simile. It takes for granted that the two objects were one. Here, no words of comparison are used.

e.g.

01. Life is a dream.

02. The camel is the ship of the desert.

03. The news was a dagger to his heart.

04. Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India.

05. Life is not a bed of roses.

06. He is the pillar of the administration.

07. Hope is the anchor of the soul.

A metaphor can also be a verb or an adjective.

As a verb:

01. He boiled over with rage.

02. She bridled her emotions.

03. I screwed up my courage.

04. He steeled his heart to face the situation.

As an adjective:

01. Friendship is a sheltering tree.

02. Revenge is a kind of wild justice.

03. Life is but a walking shadow.

04. Whose armour is his honest thought.

05. Whose conscience is his strong retreat.

06. He got a lukewarm support from his boss.