Similes and metaphors are used in writing and speech to make comparisons and enhance descriptions. They are not necessarily used to show exaggeration, but rather to create vivid imagery, convey complex emotions or ideas, and add depth and creativity to the language being used. Both similes and metaphors involve making comparisons between two unrelated things, but similes use "like" or "as" to establish the comparison, while metaphors directly state that one thing is another.
