Concealed metaphor is a metaphor embedded within the literal surface of a text rather than explicitly stated through direct comparison. Unlike conventional metaphors that announce their figurative nature, concealed metaphors remain hidden in apparently literal description, requiring readers to recognize the metaphorical dimension through careful attention to patterns, connotations, or contextual cues. The metaphorical vehicle may be woven throughout imagery that seems purely descriptive, or abstract ideas may be represented through concrete details without acknowledging the substitution. This technique creates richness and depth, allowing multiple interpretive levels to coexist while maintaining surface coherence and subtlety.

A Concealed metaphor implies comparison without explicit terms like "like" or "as"—relies on context and reader inference, common in symbolist or modernist poetry.