Conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; Kövecses, 2010) is often criticized for not dealing or for not being able to deal with metaphor in discourse (Deignan, 2005; Semino, 2008). The main reason for this lack of sufficient attention (or inability), it is suggested, is CMT’s
primary or even exclusive interest in (schematically) higher-level aspects of metaphorical conceptualization. In this paper, I try to outline a corrective to this perceived deficiency on the basis of what I call “extended CMT” (Kövecses, 2020). To this end, I discuss five issues: (1) the major aspects and components of metaphorical conceptualization in a communicative situation, (2) the functions that metaphors (both linguistic and conceptual) have in natural discourse, (3) the multilevel nature of conceptual metaphors, and (4) the importance of context in metaphorical conceptualization in discourse. Throughout, I rely extensively on two of my books, Where metaphors come from (Kövecses, 2015) and Extended conceptual metaphor theory( Kövecses, 2020).
