Simile and hyperbole are figures of speech that compare things. Simile uses “like” or “as” to compare, while hyperbole exaggerates for effect. The difference lies in the intended use of the comparison. Simile is often used for poetic effect, while hyperbole is used for humor or persuasion.
Similar and hyperbole are the terms for two different figures of speech. Similarity is the use of words like “like” to compare an object, concept or person to something else. Hyperbole is the deliberate use of exaggeration to describe something, as in the sentence, “This suitcase weighs a ton.” Similarity and hyperbole can often be confused, because hyperbole sometimes imaginatively compares its subject to something else. The key difference is that hyperbole often makes claims that no reasonable person would take literally.
Simile is a kind of metaphor, a common literary device also often used in everyday speech. A metaphor compares something to something else for descriptive or poetic effect. One simile uses words like “like” or “like” to achieve this, as in the sentence “she sank like a stone.” There is little exaggeration in this statement, as it is entirely possible for a person to sink like a stone under the right conditions. Other phrases, however, can lead to confusion between simile and metaphor.
The phrase “cat reflexes,” for example, compares a person’s reflexes to the notoriously fast response times of felines. This sentence covers the difference between simile and hyperbole; it could be a simile, but it’s more likely a hyperbole. While it is possible for a person to achieve such a high reaction time with training, the average person will not have this type of training. Describing someone as having “cat-like reflexes,” therefore, is very often hyperbole, unless the person in question is a soldier, athlete, or acrobat. In these cases, it really could be a simile.
In most cases, it is easier to tell the difference between similitude and hyperbole. The line, “This suitcase weighs a ton,” is clearly hyperbole; no one expects the bag to actually weigh 2,000 pounds. Hyperbole exaggerates the characteristics described, usually for colorful or persuasive effect. A person might say, “If I ate all that ice cream, I’d be as big as a whale.” Although the word “like” is used in the way it does a simile, comparison with a giant marine mammal reveals that the phrase is clearly hyperbole.
The difference between similitude and hyperbole, therefore, boils down to the intended use of the comparison. If the phrase is used to describe something more fully, it is probably a simile, even if it compares two different things, as in Robert Burns’ famous line, “My love is like a red rose.” Burns is discussing the beauty and perfection of his love; he doesn’t expect anyone to mistake her for a flower. If the statement calls attention to itself for comic or colorful effect, it’s probably hyperbole. The line, “I need more debt like a hole in the head,” is not meant to describe debt, only to express its undesirability in a highly exaggerated way.
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