A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things that have similar properties or characteristics using the words "like" or "as". Similes are often used in literature, advertising, and everyday speech to create vivid imagery or to draw surprising connections between two unrelated things. They are closely related to metaphors and analogies. Similes are effective because they "show" rather than "tell" and use descriptive language to convey an idea instead of stating it as fact.

Examples of similes include:

• "Life is like a box of chocolates"
• "Those two are as different as night and day"
• "He stood out like a sore thumb"
• "That answer is as clear as mud"
• "Grandpa has a memory like a sieve"
• "Your laugh is like music"
• "As proud as a peacock"
• "As busy as a bee"

Similes can be used to provide a mental image to the reader or listener and make the comparison more vivid and descriptive.