Skill: Figurative Language

Figurative Language

A dynamic outline of a young woman sprinting forward at blinding speed, lightning bolts trailing behind her like exhaust, motion lines emphasizing velocity.

Figurative language uses words in creative ways to help readers see, feel, or imagine ideas more clearly.

Read the full Figurative Language guide

Common Types

Simile: compares two things using "like" or "as."
Example: "She ran as fast as lightning."
Metaphor: compares two things directly without using "like" or "as."
Example: "Time is a thief."
Personification: gives human traits to nonhuman things.
Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."
Hyperbole: extreme exaggeration for effect.
Example: "I've told you a million times."
Understatement: making something seem less important or serious than it really is.
Example: "It's just a scratch," said the knight missing an arm.
Idiom: a common expression that means something different from its literal words.
Example: "She's feeling under the weather" means she's sick.

Simile vs. Metaphor: Both compare two things, but similes use "like" or "as" while metaphors state the comparison directly.

Quick Tips

Ask: what two things are being compared?
Look for non-literal language—words that don't mean exactly what they say.
Consider the effect: does it create humor, emphasis, imagery, or emotion?

Interactive Lessons

Slide decks

Figurative Language Lesson

This lesson explains simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement. Students learn these techniques and then practice identifying and distinguishing between them with a practice activity. This lesson is adaptable for grades 3-12.

Grade bands: Grades 3-5 | Grades 6-8 | Grades 9-12
Slides: 8

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Interactive Activities

Practice sets

Figurative Language Activity | At the Candy Store...

Students join Maya and Ben at the candy shop and identify figurative language in fun, themed sentences. Skills covered: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement.

Multiple choice: 25
Written responses: 25 short responses

Figurative Language Activity | At the Candy Store... preview

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Figurative Language Activity | With Professional Wrestlers...

Students join Jax and Lena at the Mega Slam Showdown and identify figurative language in fun, wrestling-themed sentences. This activity covers simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement with 25 leveled questions.

Multiple choice: 25
Written responses: 25 short responses

Figurative Language Activity | With Professional Wrestlers... preview

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Figurative Language Activity | During the Babysitting Disaster...

Readers join Zoe and Marcus on their wildest babysitting night ever. Students will identify figurative language in fun, themed sentences that cover: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement.

Multiple choice: 25
Written responses: 25 short responses

Figurative Language Activity | During the Babysitting Disaster... preview

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Figurative Language Activity | At the Ninja Training Camp...

Join Kai and Nori at the Shadow Pine Ninja Academy and identify figurative language in fun, themed sentences. Skills covered: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement. This activity features 25 adaptive questions leveled for students grades 3-12.

Multiple choice: 25
Written responses: 25 short responses

Figurative Language Activity | At the Ninja Training Camp... preview

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Figurative Language Activity | At the World's Biggest Food Fight...

Readers join Diego and Vanna in the middle of the wildest cafeteria food fight in school history and identify figurative language in fun, themed sentences. This activity covers these techniques: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and understatement.

Multiple choice: 25
Written responses: 25 short responses

Figurative Language Activity | At the World's Biggest Food Fight... preview

Preview Practice

Standards & Objectives

Learning Objectives

Identify and distinguish between similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, understatement, and idioms in text.
Explain how figurative language shapes meaning or mood.
Compare literal and figurative meanings in context.

Standards Alignment

Common Core (CCSS)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5Open

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4Open

Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Show standards (37)

Reading Literature (RL)

Craft and Structure

Grade 3

RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

Grade 4

RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

Grade 5

RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

Grade 6

RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone

Grade 7

RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

Grade 8

RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Grades 9-10

RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Language (L)

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Grade 3

L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
L.3.5.a Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
L.3.5.b Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful).
L.3.5.c Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).

Grade 4

L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.4.5.a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
L.4.5.b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
L.4.5.c Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Grade 5

L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.5.5.a Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
L.5.5.b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
L.5.5.c Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

Grade 6

L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.6.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
L.6.5.b Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.
L.6.5.c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).

Grade 7

L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.7.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
L.7.5.b Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.
L.7.5.c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

Grade 8

L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.8.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
L.8.5.b Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
L.8.5.c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

Grades 9-10

L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.9-10.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
L.9-10.5.b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Grades 11-12

L.11-12.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
L.11-12.5.a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
L.11-12.5.b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.