Which term would you use to label 'A direct comparison used in writing or speech'?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Idiom
• C. Concrete Examples
• D. Prefixes

Answer: (A)

Metaphor is a direct comparison used in writing or speech. It states that one thing is another, creating meaning by linking two unlike things and prompting you to see familiar qualities in a new way—for example, “Time is a thief” treats time as if it were stealing moments. This makes the comparison explicit and imagery-rich, which is what the phrase is getting at. It’s different from an idiom, whose meaning isn’t predictable from the words themselves (like “spill the beans” meaning reveal a secret). It’s also not about concrete examples, which are real instances used to illustrate a point, nor about prefixes, which are word parts added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. So metaphor best fits the idea of a direct comparison.