Conceptual metaphor

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

A conceptual metaphor is a metaphor that is used very often without being stated clearly. It is often implied in many idioms. Usually a conceptual metaphor can be restated more clearly using the word "as" or making several more specific comparisons using the word "like" - both are called similes.

Some conceptual metaphors that are very common in English idioms:

  • "Love" talked about as if it were "war" or another competition
  • "Time" talked about as if it were a "path" through space, or a quantity that can be saved or spent or wasted
In other languages