as in nonfigurative
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmetaphorical
Adjective
-
Lee Ungno has great facility with ink, for example, but executing the densely interwoven vines of a wisteria, frequently a symbol of longevity, to resemble a thoroughly nonfigurative Jackson Pollock drip-painting seems dismissive in a perhaps unintentionally jokey way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Sep. 2022 -
Back then, Pop Art—of which Oldenburg’s work was a kind of rough version—was puzzling, if not a bit scandalous to an art world that had, only recently, barely gotten used to the nonfigurative paint pyrotechnics of Abstract Expressionism.—
Peter Plagens,
WSJ,
22 July 2022
Adjective
-
Cristobal’s arc can use a mite more variance overall, but her playing of Margot’s inner-torture from having to live with the literal shards of blood on her neck is effective.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Amy O’Donnell, the executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, sees ultrasounds specifically as literal lifesavers.—
Emily Brindley
Health Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Nonmetaphorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmetaphorical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
