literally
/ˈlɪt(ə)rəli
/adverb
1In a literal manner or sense; exactly: the driver took it literally when asked to go straight over the roundabout tiramisu, literally translated ‘pull-me-up’...
- Darsana literally means view, in the sense of having a cognitive sight of something.
- One wonders if he knows where the bodies are buried, perhaps quite literally.
- The ground on which the match is being played is, literally, next door to his mansion.
Synonyms
verbatim, word for word, line for line, letter for letter, to the letter;
exactly, precisely, faithfully, closely, strictly, strictly speaking, accurately, rigorously
rare literatim
1.1 informal Used for emphasis while not being literally true: I have received literally thousands of letters...
- There are literally thousands of techniques you can use, and it all depends on what rings true for you.
- This has brought us into contact with literally thousands who think as we do.
- On any given day there are literally thousands of people trying to kick the smoking habit.
Usage
In its standard use literally means ‘in a literal sense, as opposed to a non-literal or exaggerated sense’, as for example in I told him I never wanted to see him again, but I didn’t expect him to take it literally. In recent years an extended use of literally (and also literal) has become very common, where literally (or literal) is used deliberately in non-literal contexts, for added effect, as in they bought the car and literally ran it into the ground. This use can lead to unintentional humorous effects (we were literally killing ourselves laughing) and is not acceptable in formal contexts, though it is widespread.