Master Metaphor List
collection George Lakoff, Jane Espenson, Alan Schwartz (1991) · source
A comprehensive catalog of conceptual metaphors compiled at UC Berkeley and maintained by Osaka University. Contains ~200 metaphors organized by target domain, drawn from multiple publications in cognitive linguistics. The primary structured source for the cognitive linguistics canon import project.
Entries (189)
- A Force Is a Moving Object — metaphor
- A Problem Is a Body of Water — metaphor
- A Problem Is a Locked Container for Its Solution — metaphor
- A Problem Is a Region in a Landscape — metaphor
- A Schedule Is a Moving Object — metaphor
- Abilities Are Entities Inside A Person — metaphor
- Acting Compulsively Is Ingesting A Substance Compulsively — metaphor
- Acting On Is Transferring An Object — metaphor
- Action Is Control Over Possessions — metaphor
- Actions Are Self-Propelled Motions — metaphor
- Active Is Alive — metaphor
- Affection Is Warmth — metaphor
- Anger Is a Heated Fluid in a Container — metaphor
- Anger Is Heat — metaphor
- Argument Is a Container — metaphor
- Aspects Of The Self Are Distinct Individuals — metaphor
- Attributes Are Entities — metaphor
- Bad Is Stinky — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Beings with a Life Cycle — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Fashions — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Guides — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Locations — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Love Objects — metaphor
- Beliefs Are Possessions — metaphor
- Categories Are Containers — metaphor
- Causal Precedence Is Temporal Precedence — metaphor
- Causation Is Commercial Transaction — metaphor
- Causation Is Control Over An Entity Relative To A Location — metaphor
- Causation Is Control Over An Object Relative To A Possessor — metaphor
- Causation Is Control Over Relative Location — metaphor
- Causes And Effects Are Linked Objects — metaphor
- Change Is Replacement — metaphor
- Coherent Is Whole — metaphor
- Communication Is Linguistic Communication — metaphor
- Comparison of Properties Is Comparison of Physical Properties — metaphor
- Comparison of Properties Is Comparison of Possessions — metaphor
- Competition Is 1-on-1 Physical Aggression — metaphor
- Competition Is a Race — metaphor
- Competition Is Competition for Desired Objects — metaphor
- Competition Is War — metaphor
- Conceit Is Inflation — metaphor
- Conducting Research Is Solving a Puzzle — metaphor
- Creating Is Birthing — metaphor
- Creating Is Giving an Object — metaphor
- Creating Is Making — metaphor
- Creating Is Making Visible — metaphor
- Creating Is Moving To A Location — metaphor
- Creation Is Cultivation — metaphor
- Dangerous Beliefs Are Contagious Diseases — metaphor
- Darkness Is a Cover — metaphor
- Darkness Is a Solid — metaphor
- Death Is Departure — metaphor
- Desire Is Hunger — metaphor
- Desires Are Forces Between the Desired and the Desirer — metaphor
- Difficult Subjects Are Adversaries — metaphor
- Difficulties Are Burdens — metaphor
- Difficulties Are Containers — metaphor
- Disgust Is Nausea — metaphor
- Disparity Is Change — metaphor
- Effect on Emotional Self Is Contact with Physical Self — metaphor
- Effects of Humor Are Injuries — metaphor
- Emotion Is Motion — metaphor
- Emotional Intimacy Is Physical Closeness — metaphor
- Emotional Self Is A Brittle Object — metaphor
- Emotional Stability Is Contact with the Ground — metaphor
- Emotional Stability Is Maintaining Position — metaphor
- Emotions Are Forces — metaphor
- Emotions Are Locations — metaphor
- Euphoric States Are Up — metaphor
- Event Structure (Location Case) — metaphor
- Existence Is An Object — metaphor
- Existence Is Having A Form — metaphor
- Existence Is Life — metaphor
- Existence Is Visibility — metaphor
- External Appearance Is A Cover — metaphor
- External Conditions Are Climate — metaphor
- External Events Affecting Progress Are Forces Affecting — metaphor
- Facts Are Points — metaphor
- Fear Is Cold — metaphor
- Force Is a Substance Contained in Affecting Causes — metaphor
- Force Is a Substance Directed at an Affected Party — metaphor
- Form Is Motion — metaphor
- Gaining Physical Intimacy (Against Resistance) Is a Competition — metaphor
- Getting Is Eating — metaphor
- Harm Is Being in a Harmful Location — metaphor
- Harm Is Causing Functional Objects to Be Nonfunctional — metaphor
- Harm Is Having a Harmful Possession — metaphor
- Harm Is Lacking a Needed Possession — metaphor
- Harm Is Physical Injury — metaphor
- Harm Is Preventing Forward Motion Toward a Goal — metaphor
- Harming Is Lowering — metaphor
- Help Is Support — metaphor
- Hope Is a Beneficial Possession — metaphor
- Hope Is a Child — metaphor
- Hope Is Light — metaphor
- Ideas Are Children — metaphor
- Ideas Are Locations — metaphor
- Ideas Are Perceptions — metaphor
- Ideas Are Writing — metaphor
- Importance Is Size — metaphor
- Intelligence Is a Light Source — metaphor
- Intense Emotions Are Heat — metaphor
- Interaction Between Progress and External Events Affecting — metaphor
- Interpersonal Harmony Is Musical Harmony — metaphor
- Intimacy Is Closeness — metaphor
- Intoxication Is Becoming Electrified — metaphor
- Intoxication Is Getting A Burden — metaphor
- Intoxication Is Getting Destroyed — metaphor
- Investments Are Containers For Money — metaphor
- Knowing Is Seeing — metaphor
- Knowledge of Past Events Is an External Event Exerting Force On — metaphor
- Laughter Is a Substance — metaphor
- Life Is a Story — metaphor
- Light Is A Fluid — metaphor
- Light Is A Line — metaphor
- Linear Scales Are Paths — metaphor
- Logic Is Gravity — metaphor
- Logical Relations Are Causal Relations — metaphor
- Long-Term Purposeful Activity Is a Journey — metaphor
- Love Is Magic — metaphor
- Loved One Is A Possession — metaphor
- Lust Is Heat — metaphor
- Lustful Person Is an Activated Machine — metaphor
- Lustful Person Is an Animal — metaphor
- Machines Are People — metaphor
- Means of Change Is Path over Which Motion Occurs — metaphor
- Mental Accounting — metaphor
- Money Is A Liquid — metaphor
- Moral Accounting — metaphor
- Morality Is Accounting — metaphor
- Morality Is Cleanliness — metaphor
- Morality Is Purity — metaphor
- Morality Is Straightness — metaphor
- Nation Is a Family — metaphor
- Nation Is a Person — metaphor
- Necessary Prerequisite for Change Is Source of Moving Entity — metaphor
- Obligations Are Containers — metaphor
- Obligations Are Possessions — metaphor
- Opportunities Are Objects — metaphor
- Opportunities Are Open Paths — metaphor
- Organization Is Physical Structure — metaphor
- People Are Batteries — metaphor
- People Are Plants — metaphor
- Perception Is Reception — metaphor
- Perception Is Shape Recognition — metaphor
- Personality Is Material — metaphor
- Possessing Is Holding — metaphor
- Problem Is a Constructed Object — metaphor
- Problem Is a Tangle — metaphor
- Problem Is A Target — metaphor
- Properties Are Contents — metaphor
- Properties Are Physical Properties — metaphor
- Purposes Are Desired Objects — metaphor
- Receiving Serious Thought Is Being On The Mind — metaphor
- Relationship Is Kinship — metaphor
- Relationships Are Enclosures — metaphor
- Responsibilities Are Possessions — metaphor
- Seeing Is Touching, Eyes Are Limbs — metaphor
- Self-Initiated Change Of State Is Self-Propelled Motion — metaphor
- Sexuality Is An Offensive Weapon — metaphor
- Shapes Are Containers — metaphor
- Similarity Is Closeness — metaphor
- Social Accounting — metaphor
- Society Is a Body — metaphor
- States Are Shapes — metaphor
- Strong Emotion Is Blinding — metaphor
- Strong Emotions Are Madness — metaphor
- Subjects Are Areas — metaphor
- The Body Is a Container for the Self — metaphor
- The Event Structure Metaphorical System — metaphor
- The Great Chain of Being — archetype
- The Mind Is a Body — metaphor
- The Progress of External Events Is Forward Motion — metaphor
- Theoretical Debate Is Competition — metaphor
- Theories Are Beings with Life Cycles — metaphor
- Theories Are Cloth — metaphor
- Theories Are Constructed Objects — metaphor
- Theories Are Covers for the Facts — metaphor
- Theories Are People — metaphor
- Time Is a Changer — metaphor
- Time Is a Container — metaphor
- Time Is a Landscape We Move Through — metaphor
- Time Is a Pursuer — metaphor
- Time Is a Resource — metaphor
- Time Is Motion — metaphor
- Treating Illness Is Fighting a War — metaphor
- Understanding Is Grasping — metaphor
- Well-Being Is Wealth — metaphor
- Words Are Weapons — metaphor