List of animal similes
Here is a large list of animal similes for reference. Hopefully, it is useful for both learners and English teachers who are looking to create animal simile activities. They are useful for helping ESL learners make their writing and speech more descriptive.
The list of animal similes is in alphabetical order of the adjective the animals represent. Some of the similes have more than one animal, it appears there are regional differences around the world of native English speaking countries. For example, busy as bee is most common in The United Kingdom whereas busy as a beaver is also used in North America.
What is a simile?
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things directly. They are used to say that something is like something else. For example, if something is very light we may say it is as light as a feather. A feather is of course is a very light object. We use similes to make descriptions more emphatic.
This article only lists animal similes. The physical and character traits of animals are used to describe things in many English similes. The list may have missed a few similes but it covers the most commonly used English animal similes.
List of animal similes
As agile as a monkey
As bald as a badger
As bald as a coot
As big as a whale
As blind as a bat
As bold as a lion
As brave as a lion
As busy as a beaver
As busy as a bee
As clumsy as a bear
As clumsy as an elephant
As crazy as a Loon
As cunning as a fox
As dead as the dodo
As drunk as a skunk
As eager as a beaver
As fast as a gazelle
As fast as a horse
As fast as a jungle cat
As fat as a pig
As fierce as a tiger
As free as a bird
As gentle as a dove
As gentle as a lamb
As graceful as a swan
As heavy as an elephant
As hairy as a gorilla
As happy as a clam
As happy as a lark
As hungry as a Bear
As hungry as a wolf
As innocent as a lamb
As lame as a duck
As loose as a goose
As mean as a snake
As meek as a lamb
As mischievous as a monkey
As mad as a hornet
As mad as a March hare
As naked as a Jaybird
As noisy as crickets
As playful as a kitten
As poor as a church mouse
As proud as a peacock
As quiet as a mouse
As rare as hen’s teeth
As timid as a mouse
As tiny as an Ant
As sick as a dog
As sick as a parrot
As silly as a goose
As silly as a monkey
As silly as a sheep
As sleepy as a koala
As slippery as an eel
As slow as a snail
As slow as a tortoise
As sly as a fox
As snug as a bug in a rug
As stolid as a cow
As strong as a bull
As strong as a horse
As strong as an ox
As stubborn as a mule
As sure-footed as a goat
As swift as a hare
As tall as a giraffe
As tenacious as a bulldog
As tender as a chicken
As timid as a rabbit
As tiny as an ant
As weak as a kitten
As wet as a dog’s nose
As wise as an owl
