What Are Examples of Figurative Analogies?

One example of a figurative analogy is comparing the sound of a car’s engine running with the sound of rain falling. Another example is comparing a human with a motorized toy because both can move. In both cases, a figurative analogy, which can be a simile or metaphor, is not literal but instead compares a shared characteristic (sound or movement) of two items that are otherwise very different from each other.

Figurative analogies are weak because there are often more differences between the two things being compared than there are similarities. For example, a car’s engine and rain have very different sounds and intensities while humans and ants move very differently.