Which term describes a comparison using like or as?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Personification
• C. Irony
• D. Simile

Answer: (D)

This question focuses on similes, the figure of speech that makes a comparison using like or as. A simile links two unlike things to highlight a shared quality by using words such as like or as, for example, “as brave as a lion” or “like a fish out of water.” The key feature here is the explicit use of like or as to draw the comparison.

Why this is the right idea: the defining mark of a simile is exactly that use of like or as to connect two different things. Other terms describe different devices: a metaphor makes a direct comparison without using like or as, personification gives human traits to nonhuman things, and irony involves a contrast between expectation and reality or between what is said and what is meant.