Metaphorilise

Metaphorilise is a verb in British English meaning to express or present something through metaphor; to convert literal language into metaphorical form; to frame or reinterpret something in terms of metaphor. It is used in literary criticism, rhetoric, and creative writing to discuss how discourse is shaped by figurative language.

In practice, to metaphorise a concept means to replace direct explanation with a metaphor that carries implied meanings and emotional resonance. This can illuminate abstract ideas, reveal underlying assumptions, or engage readers, but may also introduce ambiguity or misinterpretation if the metaphor overreaches. The term covers both the act of crafting metaphors and the broader deployment of metaphorical framing. For example, a critic might metaphorise a city's decline as a patient in need of care, or describe a political campaign as a turbulent voyage at sea.

Etymology and usage: formed from metaphor plus -ise; British spelling. The American equivalent is metaphorize. The term is relatively rare outside scholarly or critical contexts and is most often encountered in discussions of figurative language, rhetoric, or translation studies. See also: Metaphor; Figurative language; Rhetoric; Cognitive linguistics.