Metaphorical means expressed through a metaphor rather than literally true. When someone says “time is money,” they're being metaphorical: time isn't actually dollar bills, but like money, it's valuable and shouldn't be wasted. When a coach tells a losing team “we need to turn this ship around,” nobody expects an actual ship. The coach is speaking metaphorically, comparing the team to a vessel that needs to change direction.

A metaphor works by describing one thing as if it were something else to help us understand it better or feel it more deeply. So when something is metaphorical, it uses this kind of comparison. If your teacher says a messy desk is “a disaster zone,” she's being metaphorical. Your desk isn't literally a place where a tornado struck, but calling it a disaster zone helps everyone picture just how chaotic it looks.

Writers use metaphorical language constantly. When a novel describes someone's “icy stare” or “warm smile,” those temperatures are metaphorical. Eyes don't have actual temperatures. But we immediately understand the feeling those descriptions create.

The opposite of metaphorical is literal, meaning the actual, factual truth. If someone says “I'm starving,” they're usually being metaphorical (just very hungry). If they're literally starving, they're in serious danger.