SIMILES

 
NAME: CLASS: DATE: 

A. What are similes?

1. Similes are expressions which compare two things; they always include the words as
or like. You can use similes to make your spoken and written English more colourful
and your comparisons more powerful. For example: 
My brother’s as thin as a rake. [extremely thin]
The baby’s skin is as smooth as silk. [extremely smooth]
Pilar is as bright as a button. (extremely clever]

2. You should learn similes as whole phrases, because it is usually not possible to
change the individual words (e.g. we do not say as thin as a stick or as thin as a pole).
Where it is possible to change the individual words, the meaning of the simile often
changes, for example:
I needed a drink of water. My mouth was as dry as a bone. [extremely dry / thirsty]
His lecture was as dry as dust, and everyone was bored. [extremely boring]

3.Be careful how you use similes. They have strong meanings and are often used in a
humorous or sarcastic way, e.g. My teacher's explanations are as clear as mud [not
clear at all].

B. Common similes

STT Similes Meaning  Examples: 

1 as fresh as a extremely fresh | slept really well, so | feel as fresh as a

daisy  and full of energy daisy this morning. 

2 run like the ran extremely fast George ran like the wind to get the
wind message to Paula before she left. 

3 drive like a drives fast and badly | don’t want to go in the car with Lottie. She
maniac drives like a maniac! 

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4 fit like a glove [fits extremely well] My new sweater fits like a glove. I’m so
pleased with it. 

5 as clear as [very clearly] The two men were in the next room, but |
crystal could hear every word they said as clear as
crystal. 

6 as poor as a [very poor] Ben claimed to be as poor as a church

church mouse, but we knew he was rich. 
mouse

7 as silent as [totally silent] As Beth walked in, the house was as silent
the grave as the grave. 

8 as red as a to have a red face It's so obvious you like Anna! You went
beetroot because you are as red as a beetroot when Stefan
embarrassed was talking about her, so it must be
true!

9 All over like a Showering someone You were all over her like a rash at the party
rash with romantic or last week too.
sexual attentions.

10 as thick as to be very close Have you noticed how Chiara and Rita are
thieves friends and share as thick as thieves
secrets, etc.: lately?

11 as quick as extremely fast Rita said she needed some help and as
flash quick as a flash

12 as keen as very eager and Chiara volunteered - you know, as keen as

mustard interested in mustard.
everything

13 fight like cat to have angry They used to hate each other and were

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 and dog  arguments all the time always fighting like cat and dog over the
most stupid things

14 work like a to work very hard I've been working like a dog
dog 

15 have a face to look extremely The boss just came in with a face like
like thunder angry thunder and
said I'd made a mess of some sales figures

16 as stubborn to be very stubborn I've tried to argue with him, but he's
as a mule  as stubborn as a mule, and you can never
convince him that he's wrong.

C. PRACTICE 
1. Complete the sentence with as or like AND a word in the box 

a maniac silk a button a bone

a glove the wind to catch the train  a daisy a rake

1 My new dress fits .......................

2 You'll need to run .......................
3 She's as thin ..................................................
4 Ana always looks as fresh ..................................
5 He drove off .........................................................
6 Her mouth felt as dry .....
7 Their son is as bright ...................
8 Her hair felt as smooth ..................................

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2. Choose the correct word to complete each simile.

1. That book was so boring. It was as dry as [a bone / dust].

2. You explained it so well - it’s a difficult concept, but it’s as clear as [crystal / mud]
now.

3. I wonder what they’re plotting - they look as thick as [two short planks / thieves].

4. After working in that airless room my mouth feels as dry as [a bone / dust].

5. I can’t understand what he’s trying to say - it’s as clear as [crystal / mud].

6. Rita and Sam are as [ hungry/ poor] as a church mouse but they live happily.

7. Sue got up at 5 but she was as fresh as a [ orchid/ daisy] 

8. John studies hard, he is as smart as an [ eagle/ owl] 

9. I haven’t eaten anything today. I’m as hungry as a [wolf/ lion]

10. Carol felt that she was as free as a [pigeon/ bird] on her holiday. 

3. Replace the underlined part of each sentence with a simile.

1. Tom and Rosa have been arguing all the time recently.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2 Amy blushed and looked very embarrassed when Lasse commented on her new
dress.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3 When our teacher asks the class a difficult question, Hatsuki usually answers without
a

moment's hesitation.

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→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4 It was early Sunday morning, and the house was strangely silent.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5 Emma was behaving towards Jakob in a very affectionate way at the barbecue last
week.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6 All her sisters are extremely poor.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7 Caterina felt full of energy after her shower.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

8 The students in my class are great - hardworking, punctual and very enthusiastic.

→ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. Complete with what A says. Complete each response with a simile

1. A: He looked really angry. 

    B: Yes, he had ………………………………………………………………………….

2. A: It’s impossible to change his mind. 

    B: Yes, he is …………………………………………………………………………

3. A: He drove off very quickly, didn’t he?

     B: Yes, he was driving …………………………………………………………………………

4. A: You’ve been very busy at work, haven’t you?

     B: Yes, I’ve been …………………………………………………………………………

5. A: You can always rely on Suzie to organize the school concert. 

    B: Yes, she’s …………………………………………………………………………

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4. Match the similes on the left to their definitions on the right

1 As proud as a peacock . A red with shame, anger, tension

2 as busy as a bee B completely blind; not able to see well
3 as good as gold C cunning, tricky, crafty
4 as warm as toast D very healthy, feeling very well
5 as light as a feather E very proud, vain, self-important
6 as quick as a flash F very eager, enthusiastic
7 as sly as a fox G very busy
8 as mad as a hatter H very well-behaved (especially about a child)
9 as Keen as mustard I very quick
10 as thick as thieves J very dry
11 as fit as a fiddle K very thin, very lean
12 as lean as a rake L a crazy person
13 as red as a beetroot M very light
14 as dry as a bone N very close (about friends)
15 as blind as a bat O warm, cozy

1. E  2. …………. 3. ………… 4. ………… 5. …………

6. ………… 7 ………… 8. ………… 9. ………… 10. …………

11. ………… 12. ………… 13. ………… 14. ………… 15. …………

5. Use the idioms in exercise 4 to fill in the following sentences.

1. I've worn glasses for 20 years, so I'm ……………………………………………………… now.
2. A lot of teenagers rebel, but not me—I was always ………………………………………………………

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3. My grandma has been rowing her whole life. She turns 87 this year and she's still
………………………………………………………
4. He thought he was being ……………………………………………………… in the way he had been
skimming money from the cash registers, but management caught up with him
eventually.
4.Tom's been ……………………………………………………… ever since he found out he came in top of
the class—he hasn't missed a single opportunity to remind us.
5. I have such fond childhood memories of wintertime, coming in from the snow and
getting warm ………………………………………………………
6. The material in the coat is durable and waterproof, but feels
………………………………………………………
7, I'm currently choreographing three plays, so I'm ………………………………………………………
8, I know some of my students think I'm ……………………………………………………… because of my
weird methods.
9. "I can't wait to have my first rides this weekend. I'm………………………………………………………
……………," said the son.
10. After running around in the heat, Jonah's face was ………………………………………………………

6. Fill in an animal word from the box to finish the sentences. Make any change to the
word if necessary. 

lark tiger fox eel ox

dodo hen lion fish owl

1. The notorious criminal has proven to be as slippery as a(n)… …………………………for police,

eluding capture once again.

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2. The opponent looked aggressive and formidable. He was as tough as a(n)
…………………………
3. You should get Bert to help you move all this furniture—he's strong as a(n)..
…………………………
4. Katie won the women’s  swimming Olympics 2020. She swam like a(n)
…………………………in the competition.
5. She is considered as wise as a(n) …………………………and has become something of a
matriarch within the community.
6. Support for the candidate is as scarce as …………………………teeth in this part of the
country.
7. You have to be brave as a …………………………to go into a dangerous place like that! 
8. The novel centers around the cat-and-mouse chase between a police detective and a
thief who is as cunning as a …………………………
9. Letter-writing is as dead as the …………………………
10. Johnny's in a bit of a bad mood, but just give him a new toy to play with and he'll be
as happy as a …………………………

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