Meaning & use
literally
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In the exact, real sense of the words, with no exaggeration.
Grammar: Placed before the word or phrase it describes: literally true.
Patterns
- literally translated
- take something literally
The word means literally ten thousand.
He took her advice literally and quit his job.
The town is literally on the border.
adverbnot comparableinformal
Used for emphasis, even when what follows is exaggerated.
Grammar: Informal; many careful writers avoid it.
I was literally dying of laughter.
The line was literally a mile long.
Common combinations
- take literally
- Don't take his joke literally.
- literally translated
- Literally translated, it means bread of the house.
- literally speaking
- Literally speaking, it is correct.
- quite literally
- He was quite literally on top of the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exactly
- Stresses precision rather than lack of metaphor.
- actually
- Means in fact, used to correct an assumption.
- virtually
- Means almost, nearly the opposite of the precise sense.
Opposites
Word family
- literal adjective
- following the exact meaning
- literalism noun
- sticking to the exact words
Commonly confused: literally or figuratively?
literally vs figuratively
Figuratively means in a metaphorical way, the opposite of literally.
Practice
Which sentence uses literally in its exact, non-exaggerated sense?
Choose one answer.
Boiling soup can really be boiling, so literally is accurate. The others describe exaggerations.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “literally”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.