Which term means a comparison without using like or as?

Which term means a comparison without using like or as?

• A. metaphor
• B. simile
• C. literal
• D. lexis

Answer: (A)

You're being tested on identifying a comparison that doesn't use like or as. That is a metaphor: it makes a direct claim by saying one thing is another, as in “Time is a thief.” No “like” or “as” is involved, which is what sets a metaphor apart from a simile. A simile explicitly uses like or as to draw the comparison, such as “Time is like a thief.” Literal language describes things in their exact, factual sense, without figurative meaning, and lexis refers to vocabulary rather than a figure of speech. So the term that fits is metaphor.

You're being tested on identifying a comparison that doesn't use like or as. That is a metaphor: it makes a direct claim by saying one thing is another, as in “Time is a thief.” No “like” or “as” is involved, which is what sets a metaphor apart from a simile. A simile explicitly uses like or as to draw the comparison, such as “Time is like a thief.” Literal language describes things in their exact, factual sense, without figurative meaning, and lexis refers to vocabulary rather than a figure of speech. So the term that fits is metaphor.