How to use metaphorically in a sentence
20 example sentences · adverb
Metaphorically means in a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor. Example: “He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.”
Examples of metaphorically by meaning
adverbIn a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
- He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.
- Thinking more metaphorically, his American contemporary James Russell Lowell wrote: “It is not the insurrections of ignorance that are dangerous, but the revolts of intelligence.” Had he lived to the year 2021, he might have changed his mind.2021 January 13, Steven Poole, “'Insurrection': how an old word for an old thing was Trumped”, in The Guardian, archived from the original...
adverbUsed to draw attention that what follows is a metaphor, not to be taken literally.
- Metaphorically, he was crushed.
More sentences with metaphorically
- A genetic defect might metaphorically be referred to as a "Mark of Cain"2009, quarkstomper, “Mark Of Cain”, in The Arcana Wiki. From the entry mark of Cain
- The basket is, metaphorically, easier to handle than the cat inside the basket.1935, Thomas Stearns Eliot, The Criterion, page 44. From the entry fugg
- When we stand on each other's shoulders, literally and metaphorically, we can reach the real high-quality guanciale, literally and metaphorically.2026 June 5, Karen Han & Brian David Gilbert, “Insecurity in Security” (6:34 from the start), in Among Us, season 1, episode 6, spoken by…. From the entry guanciale
- And these parents are certainly howling, metaphorically if not literally, the ancient changeling incantation: “Take yours, and bring me mine!”2023, Naomi Klein, “Autism and the Anti-Vax Prequel”, in Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN. From the entry changeling
- As his widowed mother remarries a Moor herself, she metaphorically beweds her husband's killer, leaving Lazarillo in Oedipal anxiety.2003, Roberto Strongman, Allegorical I/lands. From the entry bewed
- Although the CSM has few lines, metaphorically he represents all the secret U.S. operatives of the cold war and after.2001, Ray Pratt, Projecting Paranoia: Conspiratorial Visions in American Film, page 232. From the entry CSM
- As white Australians locate Aboriginal people metaphorically "out there," so the rest of the world locates us all "down under."2000, Lesley Head, “Hunter-gatherers, Land, and the Past”, in Second Nature: The History and Implications of Australia as Aboriginal…. From the entry othering
- “I can see you yawning and stretching, Felix—not very polite.” Felix sprang to attention, metaphorically speaking, and blushed his apologies.1978, Lawrence Durrell, chapter 5, in Livia, London: Faber & Faber, published 1981, page 134. From the entry blush
- The pasta feel less metaphorically charged.2026 January 31, Danny Leigh, “Lunch with the FT: Riz Ahmed”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd.…. From the entry casarecce
- The ability, metaphorically, to tie yourself to the mast in the face of temptation is an essential one in reaping the fruits of coherence.2012, Tjaco Walvis, Branding with Brains. From the entry tie oneself to the mast
- Are these metaphorical descriptions just the subjective waxings of the critic or are they aesthetic properties really (but metaphorically) true of the wine?2009, Fritz Allhoff, Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking, page 128. From the entry waxing
- We'd had our first encounter with a basking shark, and, metaphorically at least, this gigantic, strange beast had me firmly in its jaws.1992, BBC Wildlife, BBC. From the entry basker
- When I notice a new species in the language out in the wild (metaphorically speaking) and have an urge to stamp it out—that’s my inner grammando talking.2024, Anne Curzan, Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words, Crown, →ISBN, page viii-ix. From the entry wordie
- If one wants to compare intentions and movements with each other, one, metaphorically speaking, compares apples with oranges rather than apples with apples and oranges with oranges.2014, Georg Northoff, Unlocking the Brain, Volume 1: Coding, page 156. From the entry oranges with oranges
- In the B-story, Bart goes from metaphorically crying wolf to literally crying wolf when a timber wolf escapes from Krusty’s studio after getting freaked by loud noises.2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in…. From the entry B-story
- For this reason, Washington is a wonderful and proven humbler of the Texan conceit: Washington isn't a state, and yet it is metaphorically bigger than Texas.2001 January 19, Hank Stuever, “A Fantasy as Big As All Texas”, in Washington Post. From the entry truck
- But contemporality of events is equivalent to companionship: two events which occur in the same time period without influencing or controlling one another can metaphorically be called temporal companions.1988, Brygida Rudzka-Ostyn, editor, Topics in cognitive linguistics, J. Benjamins, →ISBN, page 583, →ISBN. From the entry contemporality
Meaning of metaphorically
- adverb In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
- adverb Used to draw attention that what follows is a metaphor, not to be taken literally.
Questions about metaphorically in a sentence
- How do you use metaphorically in a sentence?
- Metaphorically is used as an adverb. For example: “He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.”
- What is a short sentence with metaphorically?
- “Metaphorically, he was crushed.”
- What does metaphorically mean?
- Metaphorically means in a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: metaphorically (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “How to use metaphorically in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/metaphorically. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
