Dissimile

Dissimile is a rhetorical figure that emphasizes dissimilarity between two things rather than their likeness. It functions as the opposite of a simile, which highlights similarities between elements. Dissimile is used to foreground contrast, sharpen distinctions, or provoke irony in prose or poetry.

The term derives from Latin dissimilitudo, meaning unlikeness, and appears in classical rhetorical writings as dissimilatio or related forms. In English, dissimile is treated as a figure of speech within the broader category of comparison, though it is far less common than simile or metaphor.

In practice, dissimile presents two subjects by stressing how they do not resemble each other, often through juxtaposition or explicit negation. It can intensify characterization, mood, or argument and is more frequently found in scholarly or literary contexts than in everyday speech. By foregrounding differences, it can clarify boundaries between ideas or create a pointed, sometimes ironic, effect.

Example: a sentence that foregrounds difference rather than similarity might read, “The city’s glittering towers promise progress, yet their cold glass and steel stand in stark contrast to the warmth of the old neighborhood.” Such wording prioritizes dissimilarities to deepen impression or critique.

See also: simile, metaphor, antithesis, dissimilitude.