明喻是英语中一种最常用的修辞手法。它的形式结构多样。大多数在线和教科书中的英语明喻列表都包含过时的表达，作为回应，我们汇编了50个流行英语明喻的例子。这些英语明喻在今天的现代英语中仍然广泛使用。对于每个英语明喻，我们都给出了它的含义和一个例子。
什么是英语明喻？
英语明喻通过使用“ as”或“ like”来将一个事物与其他事物进行比较来描述它。例如，像雏菊一样鲜嫩。在日常口语中，我们通常会去掉第一个 a，所以这个比喻缩写为 Fresh as a daisy。不要将这些表达与不包含“ as”或“ like”的正常隐喻混淆。
延伸阅读：英语连词大全用法和经典句式
列出50个最常见的英语明喻(含义和例子)
Avoid like the plague 像躲瘟疫一样躲避
当你因为消极的原因尽可能远离某人或某事时。
A: Did you do your revision?
B: No, I hate revising. I’ve been avoiding it like the plague!
Blind as a bat 像蝙蝠一样瞎
当有人看不清楚时。
I’m as blind as a bat! I thought I saw someone I knew and waved at them, but it turned out it was a complete stranger!
当你说某人聪明时。
Simon got a job at NASA. Bright as a button, that guy!
我们也可以使用名词 bright button ，例如: My daughter’s a bright button。反过来就是 not the sharpest tool in the box。
Cheap as chips 便宜得像薯条
我们用这个来指代一些非常便宜的东西。它的字面意思是我们买的东西和一份薯条(或者美国人说的炸薯条)的价格差不多。
Happy days! Got these earrings for five quid in the sales – cheap as chips, mate!
Clean as a whistle 非常干净
这可能意味着物理上非常干净整洁或100% 合法意义上的“干净”(不是欺骗或违反法律)。
I’ve scrubbed the house from top to bottom. Clean as whistle now!
Clear as mud 清晰如泥
具有讽刺意味的用来表示某事的意思极其不清楚。
I tried reading Dante’s Inferno the other day. It was about as clear as mud!
Cool as a cucumber 像黄瓜一样冷静
用来形容那些不容易紧张的人。他们即使在压力下也能保持冷静。
Imagine your boss has given you and your colleagues a deadline in five minutes. You panic, but one of your colleagues remains calm. You could say that person is ‘cool as a cucumber’.
Daft as a brush 愚蠢至极
这是一个来自英格兰北部的有趣表达，意思是某人极其愚蠢和愚蠢。
A: Did you see Steve wearing that massive hat down the pub the other night?
B: Yeah, that lad’s daft as a brush, mate!
Deaf as a post 聋得像根柱子
这和“像蝙蝠一样瞎 as blind as a bat ”的意思很相似，只不过是用来听的。它的意思是当一个人的听力非常差。
I called Mark’s name three times, but he didn’t hear me. He’s as deaf as a post!
Drink like a fish 像鱼一样喝酒
经常过量饮酒经常过量饮酒。
One stereotype of Brits is that they drink like fish.
Drop like flies 像苍蝇一样坠落
病态的比喻。它的意思是当众多的生物死亡(许多死亡)。这也可以用来表示许多人生病或无法行动。
Half of my colleagues are off work with flu. We’re dropping like flies!
Dry as a bone 干得像块骨头
指某物完全干燥。
I haven’t watered my pot plants in ages and the soil is as dry as a bone.
Easy as ABC 像 ABC 一样简单
当一件事很容易或很简单的时候。
I managed to do this week’s crossword in under 5 minutes. It was easy as ABC!
具有相同意义的英语明喻包括 easy as pie 和 like riding a bike (关于习惯)。在英国俚语中，我们也可以说 a piece of piss 来表示很容易做的事情。That Maths exam the other week was a piece of piss. 前几周的数学考试简直是小菜一碟
Eat like a pig 像猪一样吃饭
吃东西吃东西时不愉快或凌乱的方式。
I love my husband to bits (very much), but he eats like a pig sometimes!
Feel like death warmed up 感觉死亡来临
当你感到极度不适或不舒服时。就像食物一样，这个想法就是你感觉像死了(很糟糕) ，但是之后又被加热(更糟糕)。
I got a really bad cold two days ago and felt like death warmed up.
Fit like a glove 像手套一样合身
当衣服的尺寸刚好适合你的时候。
I bought myself a new suit and it fits me like a glove.
Fresh as a daisy 鲜嫩如雏菊
看起来和感觉到健康和充满活力。
A: Heard you had a good one down the pub the other night.
B: Haha, yep.Fresh as a daisy now though, mate!
Get on like a house on fire 像着火的房子一样快活
当人们相处得非常好的时候，有很多共同点，都是好朋友。
I haven’t known Diana for long, but we get on like a house on fire. We’re similar in many ways.
Go down like a lead balloon
像气球一样沉下去
I told my mum your joke about the nun and the toilet. It went down like a lead balloon!
Go out like a light 像灯一样熄灭
这可以是一个积极的或消极的事情。肯定地说，它意味着某人很快入睡。否定地说，它意味着失去意识或者很快被击倒。
I envy Kendra. I take hours to get to sleep, but as soon as her head hits the pillow, she’s out like a light!
Did you see the boxing match last night? Strong left hook and Khan was out like a light!
Good as gold 像金子一样好
当你或其他人表现得很好的时候。这通常用于宠物或小孩。对于成年人来说，这有点屈尊俯就。
Your son is as good as gold. Mine’s a cheeky monkey most of the time!
英国人经常用有趣的名字来形容孩子和他们的行为。例如英语明喻中的 cheeky monkey (顽皮的) ，silly sausage (胡闹的) ，Little Lord Fauntleroy (特权的，期望别人为他们做所有的工作)
Hard as nails 像钉子一样坚硬
一个人身体强壮，强壮，善于打架。也可以指精神上强壮或适应力强。
Alison is hard as nails. She didn’t even cry when she watched Titanic! (Joke)
Have a memory like a sieve 像筛子一样有记忆力
难以置信的健忘，以至于当有人对你说了什么，不久之后，你就不记得他们说了什么。
A: Hi, what’s your name?
B: Alan
*5 minutes later*
A: Hi, what’s your name?
B: Alan…I told you 5 minutes ago!
A: Sorry, I have a memory like a sieve.
High as a kite 毒品中毒
当被描述的人毒品中毒“非常高”时使用。
I saw a homeless guy outside the supermarket the other day. I don’t know what he was on, but he was high as a kite!
Large as life 大如人生
当一个人有很大的个性。想象一个房间，当有人进入，他们的存在改变了房间的气氛。这被认为是一件积极的事。我们通常使用比较级形式。
The party was a bit dull until Sarah arrived. That woman is larger than life!
Like a bull in a china shop
这有两层含义。第一种是当某人非常笨拙并且意外造成伤害的时候。第二种是当一个人不够老练，进入一个情况下，在愤怒的情绪。在这里，“中国”这个词并不是指国家，而是指传统上用来制作盘子和茶杯的精致材料。
How many plates have you broken this week? You’re like a bull in a china shop!
Don’t send Sally to smooth things over with the boss. She’s like a bull in a china shop!
Like a fish out of water
当一个人对周围的环境不熟悉或者在某种情况下感到不舒服。
When I first moved to Spain I found it really hard to make friends. I felt like a fish out of water.
Like a red rag to a bull 对公牛来说，就像一块红布
如果你做了激怒某人或者让他们非常生气的事情。
Jimmy stealing Ted’s chocolate was like a red rag to a bull. Those kids are always fighting!
Like chalk and cheese
当两个人是完全不同的时候，想想完全相反的事情，比如盐和胡椒或者黑和白。
I don’t understand how Rob and Julie are still married. Those two are like chalk and cheese!
Like taking candy from a baby 就像从婴儿手里抢糖果
这指的是极其容易做的事情，通常包括某种形式的操纵。
A: I advertised my consultancy work as a “VIP service” and charged clients double.
B: Like taking candy from a baby, mate!
Like two peas in a pod
这意味着两个人在性格、外表或者两者都非常相似。粉笔和奶酪的反义词。
Tommy and Timmy are like two peas in a pod. Their names even sound alike!
Like watching paint dry 喜欢看着油漆变干
当某事非常无聊的时候。它不能用来形容一个人。
I went to see a cricket match on Sunday. It was like watching paint dry!
Like water off a duck’s back 像鸭子背上的水
指的是一个潜在的伤害性的评论或情况，对人没有影响(因为他/她是弹性或忽略它)。
I’ve told my son off so many times about coming home late, but it’s like water off a duck’s back.
Mad as a hatter 疯狂的帽匠
这些形容词和这个英语明喻都是疯狂的同义词。
Dave went out in a snowstorm wearing only shorts yesterday. That man is as mad as a hatter!
Mad as a hatter 这个英语明喻有一段有趣的历史！它起源于1829年在曼彻斯特的一个著名的帽子制造业城市的一部分。这项研究涉及到汞的使用，这是一种有毒的金属，经过一段时间的频繁接触，当被身体吸收后，会导致类似疯狂的症状
Quiet as a mouse 像老鼠一样安静
一个非常安静或根本不喜欢说话的人。
Lucy doesn’t like meetings. She usually just sits there quiet as a mouse.
Regular as clockwork 非常规律
在同一时间有规律地重复某事。
For some reason, I get a headache every morning at 10am for a whole hour. It’s as regular as clockwork.
Right as rain 完全正确
完全健康和健康。
I had a meeting with my doctor and she said I was as right as rain.
你可能知道这个英语明喻 As fit As a fiddle，它和上面那个有着相同的意思。然而，这个表达现在已经相当过时了。注意只学习和使用今天仍然流行的明喻… 就像这个列表中的那些
Run around like a headless chicken
我们用这个词来形容一个人匆忙、无组织、不合逻辑地做某事。
Daniel is really struggling as my Personal Assistant. He has no order to his day and is constantly running around like a headless chicken!
Safe as houses 像房子一样安全
非常安全或可靠。
While some investments are risky, I believe BP shares are safe as houses this year.
Sick as a parrot 像鹦鹉一样生病
当我们对某事感到非常失望或身体不适时，英国人就会用这个词。
I’ve been in bed with food poisoning all weekend. I feel sick as a parrot!
Sleep like a log 像木头一样睡觉
当你有一个灿烂的夜晚的睡眠。
I slept for 9 hours last night and it was great. I slept like a log.
Snug as a bug in a rug 舒适得像地毯上的臭虫
想想有史以来最舒适的情形，我们用这个英语明喻来表达。
I was sitting in my comfy armchair with the rain outside, the fire blazing and a hot cup of tea – snug as a bug in a rug!
Stick out like a sore thumb 引人注目
完全不同于人群，因此非常引人注目。
Everyone in the class had normal coloured hair, except Amy who dyed hers green. She stuck out like a sore thumb.
Sweat like a pig 像猪一样出汗
当你出汗的时候，触摸你的皮肤会感觉湿湿的。
I’m sweating like a pig today! It must be 40 degrees outside.
从这个列表中你可以看到，有很多有趣的英语明喻。另一个很好的例子是: About as much use as a chocolate fireguard 差不多和巧克力防火板一样有用。这意味着‘完全没用’。显然，火的热量会融化巧克力。例如:。A car in Venice is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard! 在威尼斯，一辆汽车就像一个巧克力防火板一样有用
Thick as two short planks 厚如两块短木板
这个英语明喻形容某人非常愚蠢。
I really like Ross, but he is as thick as two short planks. He thought Rome was the capital of Croatia!
Thick as thieves 亲密无间
极其亲近与另一个人或一群人极其亲近。这通常与共享的秘密和淘气的行为有关。
John and Alfie are always getting into trouble at school. Thick as thieves, those two!
Tough as old boots 像旧靴子一样结实
当一个人无论是精神上还是身体上都非常强壮。
My granddad survived two world wars. He was as tough as old boots.
White as a sheet
这样描述一个人在害怕或生病的时候脸色会变得异常苍白。
When I jumped out from under the bed, my daughter went white as a sheet! She doesn’t like my daddy pranks.
Work like a charm 像魔法一样工作
当事情进展顺利，比预期的要好。
When I first met my wife, I told her she had beautiful eyes. Bit of a cliché, but it worked like a charm!
Work like a dog 像狗一样工作
非常努力地工作，埋头苦干某事，嫁接。当你努力工作却得不到什么回报时，这可能与剥削联系在一起。
I’ve been working like a dog this past year, but I still don’t have enough cash for a decent holiday.
总结
综上所述，英语明喻是一种很重要的修辞手法：明喻可使表达更生动，说明更具体，论述更透彻。明喻的使用很广，几乎遍及每篇文章并且常出现在人们的口语中。因此学会正确使用和欣赏明喻很有必要。本文对明喻的功能及运用作了较为详细和全面的阐述，希望能帮助学习者进一步理解并恰当使用明喻。
