Meaning of Figurative Language

What is the literal meaning of the following metaphor?"He was drowning in a sea of grief."

• He was stranded in the ocean.

• He was very sad.

• He was very angry.

• He was a unique person.

What is the literal meaning of the following simile?

"Time is like a cruel thief."

• There's no such thing as time.

• Time often seems to pass very slowly.

• Thieves are bad because they steal things.

• As time passes, so does life's pleasant moments.

What is the literal meaning of the following metaphor?"John stood and I was in the presence of a skyscraper."

• John is attractive.

• John is annoying.

• John is tall.

• John is funny.

What is the literal meaning of the following personification?

"As we walked through the scorching desert, the sun beat down on us."

• The sun felt very hot.

• The sun was fighting them.

• The sun was very bright.

• The sun was setting.

What is the literal meaning of the following simile?

"Vanessa's eyes began to fill with tears, and they poured down her face like a waterfall."

• Vanessa is a mean person.

• Vanessa is injured.

• Vanessa is tearing up.

• Vanessa is crying hard.

What is the literal meaning of the following metaphor?

"The class was a circus."

• The class was quiet.

• The class was out of control.

• The class was boring.

• The class was interesting.

What is the literal meaning of the following hyperbole?"Charlie gazed hopelessly at the endless pile of bills stretching across the counter."

• There were a lot of bills on the counter.

• The bills were really expensive.

• The counter was very long.

• Charlie is a rich man.

What is the literal meaning of the following simile?

"Carlos, like an ox, pulled the weights an incredible distance."

• Carlos had a positive attitude.

• Carlos was strong.

• Carlos was intelligent.

• Carlos was a superhero.

What is the literal meaning of the following simile?"We moved along the lake in the canoe like a sloth, but we were happy to be together."

• The canoe moved quickly on the water.

• The canoe is not well built and will likely crash.

• The canoe can only move in deep water.

• The canoe moved slowly on the water.

What is the literal meaning of the following personification?"Time crawled as Tim sat in the detention room watching the clock tic."

• The clock was making a "tick-tock" sound.

• Tim was embarrassed about getting detention.

• Time seemed to pass slowly.

• Time seemed to pass quickly.