Simile | Metaphor | Hyperbole | Oxymoron

English Similes List

This is a list of well known AS...AS similes. There are more similes, of course, some common and others less common because anyone can make a simile at any time--you too!

simile	meaning	comment
as alike as two peas in a pod	identical or nearly so
as bald as a coot	completely bald
as big as a bus	very big
as big as an elephant	very big
as black as a sweep	completely black	sweep = chimney sweep
as black as coal	completely black
as black as pitch	completely black
as blind as a bat	completely blind	may be exaggeration
as blind as a mole	completely blind	may be exaggeration
as bold as brass	very bold	usually in a negative sense
as brave as a lion	very brave
as bright as a button	very bright
as bright as a new pin	very bright and shiny
as busy as a beaver	very busy
as busy as a bee	very busy
as busy as a cat on a hot tin roof	very busy
as calm as a millpond	very calm and still	usually said of water
as clear as a bell	very clear	of a sound
as clean as a whistle	very clean
as clear as crystal	very clear
as clear as mud	not at all clear	irony/sarcasm
as cold as ice	very cold
as common as dirt	very common, rude, vulgar	usually said of a person
as cool as a cucumber	cool
as cunning as a fox	cunning
as dead as a doornail	dead
as dead as the dodo	dead, extinct	the dodo is an extinct bird
as deaf as a post	completely deaf	may be exaggeration
as different as chalk from cheese	very different
as drunk as a lord	completely drunk
as dry as a bone	very dry
as dry as dust	very dry
as dull as dishwater	dull, boring	usually said of a person
as easy as A.B.C.	very easy
as easy as apple-pie	very easy
as flat as a pancake	completely flat
as free as a bird	very free to go anywhere
as fresh as a daisy	very fresh
as gentle as a lamb	very gentle	usually said of a person
as good as gold	very good and obedient	usually said of a person
as happy as a lark	very happy	usually said of a person
as hard as nails	very tough in character	of a person
as hot as hell	very hot
as hungry as a bear	very hungry
as hungry as a wolf	very hungry
as innocent as a lamb	innocent, not worldly-wise	usually said of a person
as large as life	conspicuously present
as light as a feather	very light
as light as air	very light
as mad as a hatter	completely crazy
as mad as a hornet	very angry
as nutty as a fruitcake	completely crazy
as obstinate as a mule	very obstinate, stubborn
as old as the hills	very, very old
as pale as death	very pale or white in the face	of a person
as plain as day	very clear
as poor as a church mouse	poverty-stricken
as poor as dirt	poverty-stricken
as proud as a peacock	very proud
as pure as snow	pure and innocent
as pure as the driven snow	pure and innocent
as quick as a wink	very quick(ly)
as quick as lightning	very quick(ly)
as quick as silver	very quick
as quiet as a church mouse	very quiet
as safe as houses	very safe, secure
as scarce as hen's teeth	very, very scarce	irony (hens have no teeth)
as sharp as a razor	very sharp
as sick as a dog	very sick
as sick as a parrot	very sick
as silent as the dead	completely silent
as silent as the grave	completely silent
as slippery as an eel	slippery, evasive, not to be trusted	of a person
as slow as a snail	very slow
as slow as a tortoise	very slow
as smooth as silk	very smooth
as snug as a bug in a rug	in a very comfortable position	humorous
as sober as a judge	sober
as solid as a rock	solid
as solid as the ground we stand on	solid
as sound as a bell	very clear	of a sound
as sour as vinegar	very sour
as steady as a rock	very steady
as stiff as a board	completely stiff
as straight as an arrow	straight	an arrow flies straight
as strong as an ox	very strong
as stubborn as a mule	very stubborn, obstinate
as sturdy as an oak	very strong and solid
as sure as death and taxes	absolutely certain to happen
as tall as a giraffe	very tall
as thin as a rake	very thin
as timid as a rabbit	very timid
as tough as leather	very tough
as tough as nails	very tough	often said of a person
as tough as old boots	very tough	often said of a person
as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party	not welcome at all	irony/sarcasm (skunks stink)
as white as a ghost	very pale or white in the face	of a person
as white as a sheet	pure white
as white as snow	pure white
as wise as Solomon	very wise	King Solomon
as wise as an owl	very wise

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Caution: Many similes are clichés (phrases that are overused and betray a lack of original thought). You should use well-know similes with care, but it is certainly useful to know them so that you can understand language that contains them.