Introduction. The article discusses the principles of compiling a dictionary of figurative comparisons of the Mari language, based on a language corpus. It includes figurative comparisons from Mari sacred texts (spells, prayers), from such genres of oral folk art as legends, traditions, fairy tales, songs, proverbs, riddles, omens, from works of fiction, popular science and journalistic texts. The purpose of the article is to present the principles of compiling a dictionary of comparisons of the Mari language. Material and methods. The selections for the dictionary were compiled according to structural parameters, taking into account the methods and means of creating figurative comparisons in the Mari language using the AntConc corpus manager. Research results, discussions. To compile samples from the Mari language corpus, clear structural parameters were identified: comparative case, postpositions, particles, conjunctions, and some syntactic models. The dictionary also contains figurative comparisons, designed using lexical means, as illustrations. As the head word, lexemes are defined that denote the object (subject) of comparison. The authors of the article describe the features of the functioning of figurative comparisons in various types of texts. In the texts of prayers and spells, comparisons function as part of polynomial comparative constructions. When choosing illustrations from folklore texts, the authors included sentences that are informative, demonstrate the dialectal features of the material, and refer to mythological and fairy-tale plots. When presenting illustrations in Russian to demonstrate the expressive potential of the word and the peculiarities of the Mari language, the authors-compilers offer a literal translation, as well as explanations of the meanings of ethnographisms. Figurative comparisons in literary texts are one of the means of expressiveness that determine the individual characteristics of the writer’s style. The dictionary provides opportunities for studying the language and style of a particular author, and ways to create individual author's comparisons. The lexicographical work contains more than 1,700 dictionary entries. Conclusion. The dictionary demonstrates the expressive capabilities and richness of the Mari language through the example of comparisons; one of the ways to use the Mari language corpus is to present examples of comparisons for those writing in the Mari language. The electronic version of the dictionary ensures its accessibility and expands the presence of the Mari language in the information space.