What figure of speech is used in the statement, 'His words were a dagger to my heart'?

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What figure of speech is used in the statement, 'His words were a dagger to my heart'?

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C Rationale: The figure of speech used in the statement, 'His words were a dagger to my heart,' is a metaphor, as it equates words with a dagger to convey emotional pain.

Metonymy involves substituting one term for another closely related term, which does not apply here since the statement does not use a related concept to represent pain. Similes use "like" or "as" to make comparisons, and this statement does not employ those terms; it asserts that words are a dagger directly. Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, whereas this metaphor provides a poignant and direct image of emotional suffering without exaggeration.

ATI TEAS English and Language Usage Test

What figure of speech is used in the statement, 'His words were a dagger to my heart'?

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