1.
metaphor; implied comparison
A figure of speech that describes one thing as being another, without using explicit comparison words. Contrasts with 直喩 (simile).
「人生は旅だ」は隠喩だ。
'Life is a journey' is a metaphor.
隠喩は直接的な比較を使わない。
Metaphor does not use direct comparison.
この詩には多くの隠喩が含まれている。
This poem contains many metaphors.
USAGE:
隠喩 is a literary and grammatical term. Unlike 直喩 (simile), which uses comparison markers like ~のような, 隠喩 states the comparison directly: 「A は B だ」.
Also called 暗喩, which is a synonym.
CONTRAST:
直喩 (simile) uses explicit comparison words. 隠喩 does not.
WORD FORMATION:
隠 (hidden) + 喩 (comparison/metaphor) — literally "hidden comparison."