Similes for Kids: 75 Examples + What a Simile Is

A simile is a way to describe something by comparing it to something else with the word like or as. "As busy as a bee" is a simile: it tells you a person is busy by comparing them to a bee.

Your students already use similes, even if they've never heard the word. "I'm as hungry as a bear!" shows up at lunch every single day. The job in 3rd grade is giving that habit a name, so students can spot similes in books and write their own on purpose. You can grab printable practice on our 3rd grade similes worksheets page, and the list below gives you 75 examples to work from.

What Is a Simile?

A simile compares two different things to show how they're alike. It always uses one of two signal words:

• like: "The snow fell like powdered sugar."
• as: "The lake was as smooth as glass."

Why do writers use them? "Leo is very brave" is fine. "Leo is as brave as a lion" puts a picture in the reader's head, and that picture is the whole point.

Quick tip: tell your students to hunt for like or as first, then ask, "Are two different things being compared?" If both answers are yes, they found a simile.

75 Simile Examples by Topic

We grouped these by topic so you can pick a set that matches your current read-aloud or writing unit. Each simile has a short meaning in parentheses.

Animal Similes (20)

1. As busy as a bee (very busy)
2. As quiet as a mouse (very quiet)
3. As slow as a snail (very slow)
4. As wise as an owl (very smart)
5. As proud as a peacock (very proud of yourself)
6. As brave as a lion (full of courage)
7. As strong as an ox (very strong)
8. As stubborn as a mule (won't change their mind)
9. As gentle as a lamb (very calm and kind)
10. As sly as a fox (clever and sneaky)
11. Swims like a fish (swims very well)
12. Eats like a bird (eats very little)
13. Runs like a cheetah (runs very fast)
14. As playful as a kitten (loves to play)
15. As hungry as a bear (very hungry)
16. Waddles like a duck (walks side to side)
17. As happy as a clam (very content)
18. Sings like a bird (sings sweetly)
19. As free as a bird (no worries at all)
20. As graceful as a swan (moves smoothly)

Weather and Nature Similes (20)

21. As cold as ice
22. As white as snow
23. As bright as the sun
24. As light as a feather
25. As hard as a rock
26. As tall as a tree
27. As fresh as a daisy
28. As clear as day
29. As old as the hills
30. As deep as the ocean
31. As dry as a desert
32. The lake was as smooth as glass.
33. She moved like lightning.
34. The thunder boomed like a drum.
35. The snow fell like powdered sugar.
36. The stars sparkled like diamonds.
37. The wind howled like a wolf.
38. The rain tapped like tiny fingers on the window.
39. The fog hung like a soft gray blanket.
40. The leaves danced like confetti.

Feelings Similes (20)

41. As happy as a puppy with a new toy
42. As calm as a still pond
43. As mad as a hornet
44. As cool as a cucumber (calm under pressure)
45. As light as air (relieved and happy)
46. As gloomy as a rainy Monday
47. As excited as a fan at a championship game
48. As brave as a firefighter
49. As shy as a turtle in its shell
50. As sweet as honey (very kind)
51. As cheerful as a sunflower
52. As tired as a dog after a long walk
53. As snug as a bug in a rug (cozy and comfortable)
54. As grumpy as a cat in a bath
55. He was shaking like a leaf.
56. My heart raced like a race car.
57. I felt as small as an ant.
58. She grinned like a jack-o'-lantern.
59. I felt like a balloon about to pop.
60. After the spelling bee, I felt like a superhero.

School and Everyday Similes (15)

61. As sharp as a tack (very smart)
62. As neat as a pin (very tidy)
63. As easy as pie
64. As clean as a whistle
65. As flat as a pancake
66. The classroom was as quiet as a library.
67. The hallway was as loud as a parade.
68. My backpack was as heavy as a bag of bricks.
69. The cafeteria buzzed like a beehive.
70. Her handwriting was as neat as a typed page.
71. He raced down the hall like a rocket.
72. The gym floor was as shiny as a mirror.
73. The bell rang like an alarm clock.
74. The math test was as easy as ABC.
75. The new book was as thick as a sandwich.

Honestly, some of these (as snug as a bug in a rug, as cool as a cucumber) are so old that students might not get them right away. That's fine. Ask them to picture the comparison and guess what it means before you tell them.

Simile vs Metaphor

Similes and metaphors are close cousins, and your students will mix them up at first. Both compare two different things. The only difference is the signal word.

	Simile	Metaphor
Uses like or as?	Yes	No
How it compares	Says one thing is LIKE another	Says one thing IS another
Example	Her smile was like sunshine.	Her smile was sunshine.
Example	The classroom was as loud as a zoo.	The classroom was a zoo.

A fun way to show it: write a simile on the board, erase "like a," and read it again. You just made a metaphor. For a full lesson on that second type, read our guide to teaching metaphors.

How to Teach Similes in 3rd Grade

Here are 4 steps that work well over a week of short lessons.

Step 1: Start With What They Already Say

Ask, "How hungry are you right now?" Someone will say "as hungry as a bear" or close to it. Write it down. Point out the two things being compared and the word "as." Now students know they already speak in similes.

Step 2: Hunt for Like and As

Give students a short passage with 3 or 4 similes mixed in. They underline every like and as, then decide which ones actually compare two things. This is where they learn that "I like recess" doesn't count.

Step 3: Play the "As ___ As a ___" Game

Call out an adjective ("cold!") and let students race to finish the frame: as cold as a... snowman? ice cube? freezer? Every answer that makes sense earns a point. Then flip it: give the ending ("...as a cheetah") and they supply the adjective.

Step 4: Use Sentence Frames for Writing

Frames take away the blank-page panic:

• My dog is as ______ as a ______.
• The storm sounded like ______.
• When I won, I felt like ______.

Once the frames feel easy, take them away.

Write Your Own Simile

Here's a simple 3-step recipe students can follow on their own:

1. Pick something to describe (your little brother, a thunderstorm, Monday morning).
2. Pick one quality you want the reader to notice (loud, fast, sleepy).
3. Think of something else that is REALLY that quality, then join them with like or as.

"My little brother" + "loud" + "a fire truck" = "My little brother is as loud as a fire truck."

Fresh beats familiar. "As fast as a cheetah" works, but "as fast as a fly escaping a swatter" makes a reader smile.

Common Mistakes With Similes

Counting every "like." "I like pizza" and "It looks like rain" use the word like, but they compare nothing. Go back to the test: two different things, plus like or as.

Comparing a thing to itself. "My cat is like a cat" isn't a simile. The two things have to be different for the comparison to show anything new.

Picking a comparison that doesn't fit. "As quiet as a drum" confuses the reader because drums are loud. Ask, "Is a drum really quiet?" Students fix this fast once they hear it out loud.

Stuffing similes into every sentence. Once students learn them, some will write five in a row. One or two strong similes beat ten tired ones.

Practice Similes With Worksheets

After the games and the writing, independent practice locks it in. Our 3rd grade similes worksheets ask students to find similes in sentences, sort similes from metaphors, explain what a simile means, and write their own.

Want more? These hubs pair well:

• Idioms and similes worksheets for 3rd grade for students ready to compare the two types of figurative language
• 4th grade similes and metaphors worksheets for students who need the next challenge

FAQ

What is a simile in simple words? A simile is a way to describe something by comparing it to something else using the word like or as. "The baby was as quiet as a mouse" compares a baby to a mouse to show how quiet the baby was.

What are 5 examples of similes? Five common similes are: as busy as a bee, as cold as ice, as light as a feather, as brave as a lion, and she ran like the wind. Each one uses like or as to compare two different things.

What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Both compare two different things. A simile uses like or as ("Her smile was like sunshine"). A metaphor says one thing IS the other ("Her smile was sunshine"). If you see like or as in the comparison, it is a simile.

What grade do students learn similes? Most students meet similes in 3rd grade, when Common Core asks them to tell literal from nonliteral language (L.3.5a). In 4th grade they explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context (L.4.5a), and in 5th grade they interpret figurative language in poems and stories (L.5.5a).

Is every sentence with like a simile? No. A simile needs a comparison between two different things. "I like apples" uses like as a verb and compares nothing, so it is not a simile. "My cat is like a cat" compares a thing to itself, so it is not a simile either.

Keep Reading

• Idioms for Kids: 100 Common Idioms With Meanings + Worksheet
• Metaphors for Kids: 15 Easy Examples + Meaning

Similes are one of those skills that show up everywhere once students notice them: in picture books, song lyrics, even the way their friends talk at recess. Start with the frames, keep it playful, and watch their writing go from "the dog was fast" to "the dog shot across the yard like a rocket" 😊