A simile and a metaphor are both figures of speech used to make comparisons, but they do so in different ways.
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Simile: A simile makes a comparison between two different things using the words "like" or "as." For example, "Her smile is like the sun" uses "like" to draw a comparison between her smile and the sun.
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Metaphor: A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two different things without using "like" or "as." It asserts that one thing is another. For example, "Time is a thief" suggests that time steals moments from our lives, directly equating time with a thief.
In summary, the main difference is that similes use "like" or "as" to highlight similarities, while metaphors imply the comparison directly without those words.