Metaphorical means relating to or being a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, by directly comparing one thing with another to emphasize their similarities.
Usage examples
He used a metaphorical language to describe his emotions, saying that his heart was a stone that couldn't be moved.
The author painted a metaphorical picture of the bustling city as a living organism, with its streets as veins and its buildings as organs.
The politician employed a metaphorical hammer to convince the audience that change was needed, emphasizing that it was time to "break down the walls of injustice."
The artist's latest masterpiece was a metaphorical representation of the cycle of life, with vibrant colors symbolizing different stages and experiences.
The teacher used a metaphorical ladder to explain the concept of achieving success step by step, encouraging students to climb their own ladder of aspirations.
The Pythagorean traditions of four kinds of harmony: musical harmony the root metaphor «Harmony» is a word now used only in metaphorical senses.1 In the long and complicated history of this word, which we can not here trace, the literal sense has been forgotten. (religion-online.org)
Akhavan elegantly repurposes domestic items and gardener's tools as metaphorical tools of torture (both of humans and the home itself), but maybe the building gets its own back on these sculptures, by quieting their protestation and cloaking their magic. (artreview.com)
Beyond anxieties over deselection (or the threat of it), footballers are often at risk of culture shock, whether in the literal sense of having to acclimatise to a new and unfamiliar country or in the more metaphorical sense of having to adapt quickly to life at a new club or a new level: a Championship player moving to an established Premier League side, a youth - team star breaking into the first - team squad, a veteran making his way down the leagues. (thetwounfortunates.com)