as in metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another
the figurative use of "allergy" to mean "a feeling of dislike"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of figurative
Against that backdrop, The Bennett Prize — a biennial award for women painters working in figurative realism — just raised its grand prize from $50,000 to $75,000.
—
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Charleston, alongside Felix, writes in a Black diasporic tradition that uses the abstract and figurative to name, address, and illuminate the materiality of Black life in the wake of chattel slavery.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Anderson is a figurative painter in the great tradition of Bacon, Freud and Auerbach.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The following list presents the ten tallest figurative freestanding statues in the world according to their heights, excluding base-structure height and topographical elevation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Charleston, alongside Felix, writes in a Black diasporic tradition that uses the abstract and figurative to name, address, and illuminate the materiality of Black life in the wake of chattel slavery.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Anderson is a figurative painter in the great tradition of Bacon, Freud and Auerbach.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The following list presents the ten tallest figurative freestanding statues in the world according to their heights, excluding base-structure height and topographical elevation.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
Adjective
-
The Chicago White Sox gave a metaphorical game ball to a World War II veteran, naming him their hero of the game.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Both Haymes and Potteiger later insisted that their remarks were not sincere expressions of violent intent, but rather metaphorical calls for Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, to find salvation in their brand of Christianity.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The number distilled the North Beach revue (which closed New Year’s Eve 2019) famous for its oversized figural hats, musical parodies and fairy-tale characters into 11.5 minutes.—
Culture Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The holders come in a set of two, adorned with figural bunnies.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Schools now feverishly compete to prepare graduates with simplistic educational remedies driven by competitive branding agendas, providing symbolic curriculum overhauls as recruiting and job-placement signals, regardless of whether such courses share a coherent body of core knowledge.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
This growing reliance on such frameworks underscores the industry’s shift from symbolic commitments toward practical implementation of due diligence and credible sustainability practices.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
