Common Similes and Striking Comparisons

Common Similes and Striking Comparisons can make your speech and writing poetic. If you have the ability to find similarity in quite dissimilar things, you may easily become a great poet. Poetry always depends on similes and metaphors to give wings to imagination. Even if you are not a poet, the use of similes and comparisons will surely add to the beauty and charm of your speech and writing. But these devices, just like idioms, are to be used once in a while. Otherwise your English may appear bombastic and clumsy.

Here is a list of the most common similes in English.

Adjective	Comparison
active	As active as quicksilver
afraid	As afraid as a grasshopper
ageless	As ageless as the sun
agile	As agile as a cat, as a monkey
alike	As alike as two beans, as two peas
ambitious	As ambitious as the devil, as Lady Macbeth
arid	As arid as the sands of the Sahara
bald	As bald as a badger, as a billiard ball, as a coot, as an egg
bashful	As bashful as a schoolgirl
beautiful	As beautiful as a rainbow, as the sunset
big	As big as an elephant, as a whale
bitter	As bitter as gall, as wormwood
black	As black as coal, as a crow, as ebony, as ink, as jet, as midnight, as pitch, as a raven, as soot, as thunder
blind	As blind as a bat, as a beetle, as a mole
blithe	As blithe as a bee, as a butterfly, as a lark, as May
blue	As blue as indigo, as the sky
blunt	As blunt as the back of a knife
bold	As bold as brass, as lion
boundless	As boundless as the ocean
bounteous	As bounteous as nature
brainless	As brainless as a chimpanzee
brave	As brave as Achilles, as a lion
brief	As brief as a dream, as time
bright	As bright as a button, as day, as the light, as a new pin, as silver
brittle	As brittle as glass
brown	As brown as a berry
busy	As busy as a bee
cautious	As cautious as a fox, as a Scot
changeable	As changeable as the moon, as a weather-cock
cheap	As cheap as dirt
cheerful	As cheerful as the birds, as a lark
clean	As clean as a Dutch oven, as a new pin
clear	As clear as crystal, as daylight, as noonday
clumsy	As clumsy as a bear
cold	As cold as charity, as a frog, as ice, as marble, as a stone
common	As common as dirt, as pins
complacent	As complacent as a cat
cool	As cool as a cucumber
cosy	As cosy as a bird's nest
countless	As countless as the desert sands, as the stars
crafty	As crafty as a fox
credulous	As credulous as a child
crisp	As crisp as new bank notes
crooked	As crooked as a cockscrew
cross	As cross as two sticks
cruel	As cruel as death, as Media, as winter
cunning	As cunning as a fox
curious	As curious as a fish
dark	As dark as a dungeon, as midnight, as pitch
dead	As dead as a door-nail, as a herring, as mutton
deaf	As deaf as a beetle, as a post
deceitful	As deceitful as the devil
deceptive	As deceptive as the mirage of the desert
deep	As deep as the ocean, as a well
desolate	As desolate as a tomb
devoted	As devoted as a faithful dog
dirty	As dirty as ditch-water
distant	As distant as the horizon
drunk	As drunk as a fiddler, as a fish, as a lord
dry	As dry as a biscuit, as a bone, as dust, as a mummy, as a stick
dull	As dull as ditch-water
dumb	As dumb as a mouse, as an oyster, as a statue
eager	As eager as a bridegroom
easy	As easy as ABC, as lying
eloquent	As eloquent as Cicero
elusive	As elusive as quicksilver
empty	As empty as space
fair	As fair as the moon, as a rose
faithful	As faithful as a dog
false	As false as a dice, as a Scot
famished	As famished as a wolf
fast	As fast as a hare, as light
fat	As fat as Big Ben, as butter, as a pig
fickle	As fickle as the weather
fidgety	As fidgety as an old man
fierce	As fierce as a tiger
firm	As firm as adamant, as faith, as a rock, as steel
fit	As fit as a fiddle
flat	As flat as a billiard table, as a board, as a pan-cake
fleet	As fleet as a deer
foolish	As foolish as a calf
free	As free as the air, as a bird
fresh	As fresh as a daisy, as dew, as a rose
frisky	As frisky as an unbroken colt
garrulous	As garrulous as a magpie
gaudy	As gaudy as a butterfly, as a peacock
gay	As gay as a lark
generous	As generous as a lord
genial	As genial as sunshine
gentle	As gentle as a dove, as a fawn, as a lamb
gloomy	As gloomy as night
glorious	As glorious as the sun
good	As good as gold, as a play
graceful	As graceful as a swan
gracious	As gracious as the moon
grasping	As grasping as a miser
grave	As grave as a judge
great	As great as a lord
greedy	As greedy as a dog, as a hog, as a wolf
green	As green as grass
grey	As grey as smoke, as time
grim	As grim as death, as hell
gruff	As gruff as a bear
happy	As happy as a child, as a king, as a lark, as a lord
hard	As hard as flint, as granite, as marble, as nails
harmless	As harmless as a baby, as a dove
hateful	As hateful as death, as hell
haughty	As haughty as the devil
heavy	As heavy as lead, as sand
helpless	As helpless as a baby
high	As high as heaven, as the stars
hoarse	As hoarse as a crow, as a raven
hollow	As hollow as a dream
hopeful	As hopeful as the break of day
hot	As hot as fire, as molten lead, as pepper
hungry	As hungry as a church mouse, as a horse, as a hunter, as a wolf
hushed	As hushed as midnight
ignorant	As ignorant as a child
illimitable	As illimitable as the boundless ocean
illusive	As illusive as a dream
immense	As immense as the ocean, as the sea
immortal	As immortal as the stars
impatient	As impatient as a lover
imperishable	As imperishable as eternity
inconstant	As inconstant as the moon, as the waves
industrious	As industrious as an ant
inevitable	As inevitable as death
inexhaustible	As inexhaustible as the deep sea
invisible	As invisible as the air
innocent	As innocent as a baby, as a dove, as a lamb
jealous	As jealous as a cat
joyous	As joyous as the laughter of a child
keen	As keen as mustard, as a razor
large	As large as life
lasting	As lasting as the pyramids
lazy	As lazy as a toad
lean	As lean as Sancho's ass, as a skeleton
light	As light as air, as a butterfly, as a feather
lively	As lively as a cricket
loathsome	As loathsome as a toad
loud	As loud as thunder
mad	As mad as a hatter, as a March hare
magnanimous	As magnanimous as Agamemnon
malicious	As malicious as satan
mean	As mean as a miser
meek	As meek as a dove, as a lamb, as Moses
merciless	As merciless as the grave
merry	As merry as a cricket, as a grig, as a lark, as a sandboy (drunk), as spring
mischievous	As mischievous as a kitten, as a monkey
modest	As modest as a dove, as a primrose
motionless	As motionless as a corpse
mournful	As mournful as the grave
mute	As mute as a fish, as mice, as the tomb
mysterious	As mysterious as an echo
natural	As natural as life
new	As new as day
nimble	As nimble as a bee, as a lizard
noiseless	As noiseless as a shadow
numerous	As numerous as the sands upon the shore
obstinate	As obstinate as a mule, as a donkey
old	As old as creation, as the hills, as Methuselah
open	As open as a smile
opposite	As opposite as the poles
pale	As pale as death, as a ghost
passionate	As passionate as young love
patient	As patient as Job, as an ox
peaceful	As peaceful as sleep
persistent	As persistent as a mosquito
piercing	As piercing as light
plain	As plain as a pikestaff
playful	As playful as a kitten, as a rabbit, as a squirrel
pleased	As pleased as Punch
plentiful	As plentiful as blackberries
plump	As plump as a partridge
poor	As poor as Job, as a church mouse
powerful	As powerful as death, as a lion
powerless	As powerless as an infant
pretty	As pretty as a picture
progressive	As progressive as time
proud	As proud as Lucifer, as a peacock
pure	As pure as a lily
quick	As quick as a flash, as lightning, as thought
quiet	As quiet as a lamb, as a mouse
ragged	As ragged as Lazarus
rapid	As rapid as lightning
red	As red as beetroot, as blood, as a cherry, as crimson, as fire, as a rose, as scarlet
regular	As regular as a clock, as clockwork, as sunrise
rich	As rich as Croesus, as a Jew
right	As right as rain
ripe	As ripe as a cherry
round	As round as a ball, as a globe
ruthless	As ruthless as the sea
sacred	As sacred as a shrine
safe	As safe as a house
secret	As secret as thought
selfish	As selfish as a fox
sensitive	As sensitive as a compass needle, as a flower
shallow	As shallow as a pan
shapeless	As shapeless as an old shoe
sharp	As sharp as a needle, as a razor
sick	As sick as a dog
silent	As silent as the dead, as the grave, as the stars, as thought
silly	As silly as a goose, as a sheep
simple	As simple as ABC
sleek	As sleek as a mouse
slender	As slender as a thread, as gossamer
slippery	As slippery as an eel, as ice, as a serpent,
slow	As slow as a snail
sly	As sly as a fox
smooth	As smooth as butter, as glass, as ice, as oil, as velvet
snug	As snug as a bug in a rug
sober	As sober as a judge
soft	As soft as butter, as down, as fur, as silk, as velvet, as wax, as wool
solid	As solid as bricks
solitary	As solitary as a tomb
sound	As sound as a bell
sour	As sour as lime, as vinegar
speechless	As speechless as a stone
spineless	As spineless as a jelly fish
spiteful	As spiteful as a monkey
spotless	As spotless as snow
stately	As stately as an oak, as a queen
steadfast	As steadfast as the sun
steady	As steady as a rock
stealthy	As stealthy as a cat, as a thief
stiff	As stiff as a poker, as a ram-rod
still	As still as death, as the grave, as a log, as a statue
straight	As straight as a candle, as a lance, as the steel of a gun
strange	As strange as a vision
strong	As strong as Hercules, as a horse, as a lion, as Samson
stubborn	As stubborn as a mule
stupid	As stupid as an ass, as a donkey, as a log, as a post
sudden	As sudden as lightning
sulky	As sulky as a bear
superstitious	As superstitious as sailors
supple	As supple as a snake
sure	As sure as death, as fate, as a gun, as sunrise
surly	As surly as a bear
suspicious	As suspicious as a cat
sweet	As sweet as honey, as a rose, as sugar
swift	As swift as an arrow, as lightning, as thought, as the wind
talkative	As talkative as as a magpie
tall	As tall as a maypole, as a steeple
tame	As tame as a cat, as a hare, as a sheep
tender	As tender as a bud, a chicken, as a lamb
thick	As thick as a cable
thin	As thin as a lath, as a rake, as a wafer
tight	As tight as a drum head
timid	As timid as a hare, as a mouse
tough	As tough as leather, as nails
tranquil	As tranquil as the summer sea
transient	As transient as lightning
transparent	As transparent as glass
treacherous	As treacherous as the memory
tricky	As tricky as an ape, as a monkey
troublesome	As troublesome as a monkey
true	As true as the Gospel, as steel
ugly	As ugly as a scarecrow, as sin, as a toad
unattractive	As unattractive as a gargoyle
uncertain	As uncertain as the weather, as the wind
unchangeable	As unchangeable as the past
uncomplaining	As uncomplaining as a lamb
uncompromising	As uncompromising as justice
unmerciful	As unmerciful as the billows
unreal	As unreal as a dream
unstable	As unstable as water
upright	As upright as a tower
useful	As useful as a cow
vague	As vague as a shadow
vain	As vain as a peacock
variable	As variable as the weather
venomous	As venomous as a snake
vigilant	As vigilant as the stars
voracious	As voracious as a camel
warm	As warm as sunbeams, as toast, as wool
wary	As wary as a fox
wasteful	As wasteful as a hen
watchful	As watchful as a hawk, as a sentinel
weak	As weak as a baby, as a kitten, as a rat, as a reed, as water
wet	As wet as a fish, as a drowned rat
white	As white as snow, as a sheet, as wool
wily	As wily as a fox
wise	As wise as a serpent, as Solomon
yellow	As yellow as a guinea, as saffron
yielding	As yielding as wax
young	As young as dawn, as the morn
zig-zag	As zig-zag as lightning