Example Sentences He took her comments literally. He’s a sailor who knows his ropes, literally and figuratively. The term “Mardi Gras” literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. The story he told was basically true, even if it wasn’t literally true.
What does literally mean example?
Definition of literally
in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally. actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed. in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually: I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.
Why are people saying literally?
“If someone says something is literally the case, they usually want to add emphasis,” he says. Ian Brookes, consultant editor at Collins English Dictionary, agrees the figurative and metaphorical use of the word crept into the English language as an intensifier.
What does literally mean now?
We define literally in two senses: 1) in a literal sense or manner : actually. 2) in effect : virtually.
What can I say instead of literally?
synonyms for literally
- actually.
- completely.
- directly.
- plainly.
- precisely.
- really.
- simply.
- truly.
How should literally be used?
The adverb literally means “actually,” and we use it when we want others to know we’re serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical.
Is saying literally correct?
Correctly, “literally” should be used when a turn of phrase usually employed in a metaphorical sense enjoys a rare moment of non-metaphorical applicability: the phrase becomes true in a literal, words-meaning-exactly-what-they-say sense.
Why do we use literally wrong?
“There were ‘literally’ a million people there, or I ‘literally’ died I was so scared. When people use literally in this way, they mean it metaphorically, of course. It’s a worn-out word, though, because it prevents people from thinking up a fresh metaphor for whatever it is they want to describe.
What does talking literally mean?
To speak literally, in this sense, is just to mean what one’s words themselves say. Literally says, in effect, ‘I mean what I’m saying: to understand me correctly you need add nothing to the meaning of my words’.
Can I say literally in an essay?
So, generally speaking you do not use generic intensifiers (like literally, really, very, truly, I swear on my mother’s grave, etc.) in any formal writing. In regular speech all these uses are common and are a standard part of the language that any native speaker of English will understand without any problem.
When did people start saying literally?
The History of the Term Literally
The first borrowings of these words can be dated back to the early 1400s. In around 1450, the first example of the words literal and literally as we know them today (i.e. a word describing the primary sense of a concept) appeared.
What is it called when you say something but don’t mean it literally?
An Idiom is a phrase that does not mean what it literally implies. Although we, as Americans, may clearly understand what the writer using an idiom is trying to convey, a reader from another culture most likely would have no idea what is being said.
What is the difference between basically and literally?
He is basically an extrovert and not a buffoon. Which means the person is from the beginning and congenially a talkative lad. Literally means in literal sense or word for word. In layman terms, one can understand it as anything figurative or genuine.
What does it mean to talk literally?
Literal language uses words exactly according to their conventionally accepted meanings or denotation. Figurative (or non-literal) language uses words in a way that deviates from their conventionally accepted definitions in order to convey a more complicated meaning or heightened effect.
Can I say literally in an essay?
So, generally speaking you do not use generic intensifiers (like literally, really, very, truly, I swear on my mother’s grave, etc.) in any formal writing. In regular speech all these uses are common and are a standard part of the language that any native speaker of English will understand without any problem.