literally#Adverb

CREATED: [2021-09-20 Mon 23:53]
ID: aeba04c2-b4e6-4181-9447-ca0a4971784d
MTIMES: [2021-09-20 Mon 23:53]

Etymology[edit] From literal +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation[edit] (UK) IPA(key): ˈlɪtəɹəli, ˈlɪtɹəli, (colloquial) ˈlɪtʃəli (US) IPA(key): ˈlɪtəɹəli, [ˈlɪ.ɾɚ.ə.li] Audio (US) MENU0:00 Audio (GB) MENU0:00 Adverb[edit] literally (comparative more literally, superlative most literally)

word for word; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor quotations ▼ Synonyms: actually, really; see also Thesaurus:actually Antonyms: figuratively, metaphorically, virtually When I saw on the news that there would be no school tomorrow because of the snowstorm, I literally jumped for joy, and hit my head on the ceiling fan. (degree, figuratively, proscribed, contranym) Used non-literally as an intensifier for figurative statements: virtually, so to speak (often considered incorrect; see usage notes) quotations ▼ Synonym: virtually He was so surprised, he literally jumped twenty feet in the air. My daughter's pet rabbit had babies, and now we've literally got rabbits coming out of our ears. (colloquial) Used to intensify or dramatize non-figurative statements. quotations ▼ I had no idea, so I was literally guessing. I was literally having breakfast when she arrived. She was literally like, "What?", and I was literally like, "Yeah". Literally who is this? (colloquial) Used as a generic downtoner: just, merely. Synonyms: merely; see also Thesaurus:merely You literally put it in the microwave for five minutes and it's done. Usage notes[edit] Literally is the opposite of figuratively and many authorities object to the use of literally as an intensifier for figurative statements. For example “you literally become the ball”, without any figurative sense, means actually transforming into a spherical object, which is clearly impossible. Rather, the speaker is using literally as an intensifier, to indicate that the metaphor is to be understood in the strongest possible sense. This type of usage is common in informal speech (“she was literally in floods of tears”) and is attested since 1769.

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