The figurative meaning is no longer in current use.
Source: tatoeba (44380)
Figurative
/ˈfɪɡəɹətɪv/
Synonyms for "figurative" (245 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (49)
Adjective(10 words)
analog modelancient history textbellylessbiblical flood mythbrobdingnagianbuteoninecannibalisticconnotative meaningdepictivedescriptive features
Noun(4 words)
animal behaviorsanimal motifdutch symbolischemotion symbolic descriptor
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (74)
Adjective(16 words)
eroticfiguralfurthesthallucinogenichumpbackedidiomaticidiomatic phraseillustrative dataillustrative exampleimplied meaning inferenceliterary symbolmetaphoricmetaphoricalmetaphorical animalmetaphorical descriptormetaphorical label
evenevidentialexhibitiveexponentialexpressiveextendedextensionalfancyfestoonedfiguralfiguratefiguredfinitefloridfloweryfractionalfull of meaningfull of pointfull of substancegraphic
Show 31 more words
identifyingideographicidiosyncraticillustrationalillustrativeimaginaryimitativeimpairimplicativeimpossibleincarnatingindicatingindicativeindicatoryindividualinfiniteintegralintelligibleintensionalinterpretableirrationallimninglogarithmiclogometriclushluxuriantmanneredmeaningmeaningfulmeatymetaphorical
Noun(6 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (122)
Adjective(34 words)
metaphorical labelsmetaphorical processmetaphorical usemetonymicmythicalnonliteralnonliteral meaningnonphysical worldpoeticpoetic imagerypoetic markerpurgatorialrealisticrepresentationalrepresentational modelslavelikespindlierstormy seassymbolicsymbolic achievement
Show 14 more words
symbolic artsymbolic epithetsymbolic implementsymbolic languagesymbolic logic systemsymbolic logicssymbolic markingsymbolic motifssymbolic notationsymbolic productionsymbolic termsymbolicalunlimited workloadzoological terms
mimeticmimishnamingnegativenumeralnumerarynumerativenumericnumericaloddonomatopoeicordinalornamentedornateoverchargedoverloadedpairpathognomonicpeculiarpersonifying
Show 45 more words
pictographicpictorialpithypointedportrayingpositivepossiblepregnantprimepurpleradicalrationalreadablerealreciprocalreferentialrepresentationalrepresentativerepresentingsemanticsemioticsententioussignalizingsignificantsignificativesignifyingsimulativesubmultiplesubstantialsuggestivesurdsymbolicsymbolicalsymbolisticsymbolizingsymbologicalsymptomaticsymptomatologictranscendentaltransferredtrolatitioustropologicaltypicaltypifyingvivid
Noun(21 words)
poetic dictionpoetic usagepointingquantum theoryritual artifactsneakingsymbolic adjectivesymbolic calculussymbolic codesymbolic mathsymbolic math toolssymbolic ordersymbolic religious artsymbolic representationsymbolic representationssymbolic ritethe fewer the bettertokentriumphal archvisual metaphor
Show 1 more word
visual metaphor device
Verb(2 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: adorned, algorismic, algorithmic, aliquot, allegoric.
- Sentence evidence is available for figurative, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "figurative".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "figurative"
Keep "figurative" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "figurative" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "figurative", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "figurative" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesart formlinguistic device
More specific
5 entriesCollocations
6 entriesfigurative artfigurative expressionfigurative languagefigurative meaningfigurative phrasefigurative speech
Inflections
2 entriesmore figurativemost figurative
Derivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
12 entriesSample sentences
13 total sentences available.
This is a figurative expression.
Source: tatoeba (3616349)
What do you prefer, abstract or figurative painting?
Source: tatoeba (4159375)
"That story was so funny I literally died from laughter." "Then how come you're talking to me now?" "Of course, I didn't actually die, it was just a figure of speech." "So you're saying you used 'literally' in a figurative way." "Apparently. Got a problem with that?" "No, just finding it amusing that language can twist to the point that a word comes to mean its own opposite."
Source: tatoeba (7675843)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "figurative"?
Closest matches include adorned, algorismic, algorithmic, aliquot, allegoric.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "figurative"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.