as\ ---\ as\ ---

- Used with an adjective or adverb in a comparison or with the effect of a superlative.

John is as tall as his father now.

I didn't do as badly today as I did yesterday.

John's father gave him a hard job and told him to do as well as possible.

The sick girl was not hungry, but her mother told her to eat as much as she could.

- Also used in the form "so --- as" in some sentences, especially negative sentences.

This hill isn't nearly so high as the last one we climbed.

- Often used in similes (comparisons that are figures of speech).

The baby mouse looked as big as a minute.

Jim's face was red as a beet after he made the foolish mistake.

- Most similes in conventional use are cliches, avoided by careful speakers and writers.