>literally
literally
Contents [hide]
1 English
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Pronunciation
1.3 Adverb
1.3.1 Usage notes
1.3.2 Quotations
1.3.3 Synonyms
1.3.4 Antonyms
1.3.5 Translations
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
literal + -ly
Pronunciation[edit]
IPA(key): [ˈlɪt͡ʃɹəli]
(US) IPA(key): [ˈlɪɾɚ(ɹ)əli]
Audio (US)
Adverb[edit]
literally (not comparable)
(speech act) word for word; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor [quotations ▼]
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, proscribed) used non-literally as an intensifier for figurative statements: virtually (often considered incorrect; see usage notes) [quotations ▼]
(colloquial) Used as a generic downtoner: just, merely.
You literally put it in the microwave for five minutes and it's done.
Usage notes[edit]
"Literally" is the opposite of "figuratively", so many authorities object to the use of literally as an intensifier for figurative statements. For example "you literally become the ball", by the primary sense, would mean actually transforming into a spherical object, but the speaker is using literally as an intensifier. However, this type of usage is common in informal speech ("she was literally in floods of tears") and has a history of use in written English going back to at least 1827.
Quotations[edit]
For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
Synonyms[edit]
(not metaphorically): actually, really
(as an intensifier): virtually
Antonyms[edit]
(not metaphorically): figuratively, metaphorically, virtually
Translations[edit]
[show ▼]not metaphorically
Categories: English words suffixed with -lyEnglish terms with audio linksEnglish lemmasEnglish adverbsEnglish disputed termsEnglish colloquialismsEnglish contranymsEnglish degree adverbsEnglish hedgesEnglish modal adverbsEnglish speech-act adverbs
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This page was last modified on 2 January 2015, at 11:03.
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