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literally

lit·er·al·ly
L l

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [lit-er-uh-lee]
    • /ˈlɪt ər ə li/
    • /ˈlɪt.ər.əl.i/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [lit-er-uh-lee]
    • /ˈlɪt ər ə li/

Definitions of literally word

  • adverb literally in the literal or strict sense: She failed to grasp the metaphor and interpreted the poem literally. What does the word mean literally? 1
  • adverb literally in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally. 1
  • adverb literally actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed. 1
  • adverb literally in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually: I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume. 1
  • noun literally Since the early 19th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning “in effect, virtually,” a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning “actually, without exaggeration”:  The senator was literally buried alive in the Iowa primaries. The parties were literally trading horses in an effort to reach a compromise.  The use is often criticized; nevertheless, it appears in all but the most carefully edited writing. Although this use of literally irritates some, it probably neither distorts nor enhances the intended meaning of the sentences in which it occurs. The same might often be said of the use of literally in its earlier sense “actually”:  The garrison was literally wiped out: no one survived.   1
  • noun literally In a literal manner or sense; exactly. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of literally

First appearance:

before 1525
One of the 28% oldest English words
First recorded in 1525-35; literal + -ly

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Literally

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

literally popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 83% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

literally usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for literally

adv literally

  • precisely — definitely or strictly stated, defined, or fixed: precise directions.
  • plainly — clear or distinct to the eye or ear: a plain trail to the river; to stand in plain view.
  • actually — You use actually to indicate that a situation exists or happened, or to emphasize that it is true.
  • completely — having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full: a complete set of Mark Twain's writings.
  • simply — in a simple manner; clearly and easily.

adverb literally

  • factually — of or relating to facts; concerning facts: factual accuracy.
  • accurately — free from error or defect; consistent with a standard, rule, or model; precise; exact.
  • exactly — Without discrepancy (used to emphasize the accuracy of a figure or description).

adjective literally

  • in fact — something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.
  • in reality — the state or quality of being real.
  • as a matter of fact — You use as a matter of fact to introduce a statement that gives more details about what has just been said, or an explanation of it, or something that contrasts with it.

Antonyms for literally

adv literally

  • doubtfully — of uncertain outcome or result.
  • loosely — free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end.
  • figuratively — of the nature of or involving a figure of speech, especially a metaphor; metaphorical and not literal: The word “head” has several figurative senses, as in “She's the head of the company.”. Synonyms: metaphorical, not literal, symbolic.

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See also

Matching words

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