Conceptual metaphor
Also known as: Conceptual metaphor theory
We think about abstract things by mapping them onto concrete, bodily ones.
What it means
Conceptual metaphor is the idea that we grasp abstract domains by systematically mapping them onto concrete, usually bodily or spatial ones, and that the mapping lives in thought rather than merely in decorative language. The mechanism is structural: a source domain such as warmth, height, weight, or war lends its inferences to a target such as affection, status, importance, or argument, so 'prices rise', 'a weighty issue', and 'attacking a claim' are surface traces of a deeper mapping that quietly constrains what feels sayable and thinkable. It shows up in framing, interface design, political rhetoric, therapy, and science communication, where swapping the metaphor can swap the conclusion. The limits matter: mappings are partial, highlighting some features while hiding others, the strongest embodiment claims are contested, and effects vary by language and context. It matters because the metaphor you hand people is already an argument.
Examples
Told that crime is a 'virus infecting' their city, people favor reform and root-cause fixes; told it is a 'beast preying' on it, they reach for tougher policing.
English treats time as money: we 'spend' an hour, 'save' ten minutes, 'waste' an afternoon. The budget metaphor quietly makes an unhurried lunch feel like a loss rather than a rest.
Meetings run on 'argument is war': you 'attack' a proposal, 'defend' your numbers, 'shoot it down'. The frame rewards winning the exchange over jointly finding the better answer.
First described in Lakoff & Johnson (1980), Metaphors We Live By.