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figurative Synonyms
Another word for figurative
Choosing another word for figurative depends on context, so the 14 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 2 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
• adjective (Context 1)
Departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical or nonliteral.
Usage Example
"When she said her backpack weighed a ton, she was speaking in a metaphorical sense."
Strongest
metaphorical
nonliteral
Strong
symbolic
allegorical
emblematic
Weak
poetic
imagery-laden
tropical
• adjective (Context 2)
(Of visual art) representing forms and figures that are recognizably derived from real-world objects, especially the human body, as opposed to abstract art.
Usage Example
"After years of painting geometric abstractions, the artist returned to representational portraiture."
Strongest
representational
figural
Strong
pictorial
naturalistic
illustrative
realistic
Opposites of figurative
The opposite of figurative shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:
literal
abstract
nonrepresentational
nonobjective
exact
factual
verbatim
prosaic
• Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Figurative. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/figurative