A metaphor is a pictorial expression.
Source: tatoeba (6165278)
Pictorial
/pɪkˈtɔɹi.əl/
Synonyms for "pictorial" (186 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (38)
Adjective(8 words)
graphicdescriptive modifierdescriptive propertydescriptive taskdiagrammaticdiagrammatic energydrawablefigurative meaning
Noun(10 words)
book illustrationdescriptive essaydescriptive textdescriptive word choicedescriptive writingdrawing classdrawing elementdrawing promptemojifrench visuel
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (55)
Adjective(23 words)
glyphicgraphic designsgraphic illustrationgraphic layoutgraphic operationgraphic techniquegraphic teegraphic tshirt designgraphicalhieroglyphic recordshieroglyphic traditioniconographic analysisillustratedillustrated ideaillustrativeillustrative dataimagisticlifelikeliterary illustrationnonlanguage subject list
Show 3 more words
Noun(15 words)
graphic artgraphic designgraphic markinggraphic representationgraphic tee designgraphical analysishieroglyphicillustrated editionimage messagelandscape studymore diagrammaticmore nonlinguisticmuralnonlanguagenonreader
Determiner(2 words)
more graphic designmore visual-art
Related words (93)
Adjective(23 words)
nonverbal ability tasksnonverbal modepainterlypainterly techniquephotographic recordspicturalvisualvisual actionvisual art lessonvisual art techniquevisual artistryvisual conceptvisual contentvisual diagramvisual explanationvisual mediumvisual presentationvisual productvisual teaching toolvisual-art activity
Show 3 more words
Noun(38 words)
nonverbal dialoguephotopictpictograph keypicture bookspicturingportrait stylesight basedswedish visuellvector diagramvisioningvisual aidvisual aidsvisual artvisual art mediumvisual art projectvisual artistvisual arts disciplinevisual basedvisual communication
Show 18 more words
visual communicationsvisual culturevisual depictionvisual displayvisual expressionvisual language teachingvisual literacy activityvisual metaphor devicevisual modelvisual motifvisual rhetoricvisual subtraction aidvisual symbolvisual tasksvisual toolvisual-art lessonvisual-art workshopvisualizing
onomatopoeicorganpaintypastoseperiodicalpersonifyingphotographicpictographicpicturablepicturalpicturesqueplainpolychromeportrayingquarterlyrepresentationalrepresentativerepresentingreviewscenographic
Show 12 more words
scumbledserialsimulativeslick magazinestrikingsymbolizingtellingtrade magazinetypifyingvividweeklyyearbook
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: graphic, annual, apish, bimonthly, biweekly.
- Sentence evidence is available for pictorial, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, 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 "pictorial".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "pictorial"
Keep "pictorial" 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 "pictorial" 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 "pictorial", 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 "pictorial" 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
5 entriesMore specific
4 entriespictorial chartpictorial diagrampictorial illustrationpictorial map
Collocations
5 entriespictorial chartpictorial diagrampictorial mappictorial representationpictorial style
Inflections
2 entriesmore pictorialmost pictorial
Derivations
3 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
9 total sentences available.
Not until after they had passed beyond the best work of the First Men in science and philosophy did the Second Men discover the remains of the great stone library in Siberia. A party of engineers happened upon it while they were preparing to sink a shaft for subterranean energy. The tablets were broken, disordered, weathered. Little by little, however, they were reconstructed and interpreted, with the aid of the pictorial dictionary. The finds were of extreme interest to the Second Men, but not in the manner which the Siberian party had intended, not as a store of scientific and philosophic truth, but as a vivid historical document. The view of the universe which the tablets recorded was both too naïve and too artificial; but the insight which they afforded into the mind of the earlier species was invaluable. So little of the old world had survived the volcanic epoch that the Second Men had failed hitherto to get a clear picture of their predecessors.
Source: tatoeba (9493288)
A hand-made pictorial Cambodian silk ikat that uses all-natural silk and dyes takes nearly a year to produce and can sell for thousands of dollars. But this traditional handicraft, which is being preserved by fewer than a dozen small nonprofits in the country, is at risk of disappearing.
Source: tatoeba (10839376)
We had our class pictorial.
Source: tatoeba (11314424)
Showing 4 of 9 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "pictorial"?
Closest matches include graphic, annual, apish, bimonthly, biweekly.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "pictorial"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.