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.
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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms
