Which line is an example of a metaphor?

• A. Eric is a monster on the field
• B. I slept for a million hours this weekend
• C. Grandma clucked like a hen as she fussed over the sick child
• D. The dictionary definition of a word

Answer: (A)

Metaphor is a statement that directly compares two things by saying one thing is another, to highlight a quality or feeling without using like or as. In the line “Eric is a monster on the field,” the speaker isn’t saying Eric is literally a monster; instead, he’s being described as having the fearsome or powerful traits of a monster. The word is creates an image of intensity and skill by equating Eric with a monster, which is the hallmark of a metaphor.

The other options aren’t metaphors. Exaggerating time (“slept for a million hours”) is hyperbole, a form of exaggeration. Saying someone clucked like a hen uses the word like, which makes it a simile, not a metaphor. A dictionary definition is literal and lacks figurative comparison altogether.