英语词汇“literally”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

1adv 2adv

The adverb literally means "actually," and we use it when we want others to know we're serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical.

If your mom complains that your room is overflowing with clothes, she probably doesn't mean this literally. Your room might be messy and chaotic, but your clothes aren't actually piled so high that they're flowing into the hallway. Your mom is being figurative — she's exaggerating. Now, if your clothes really were piled up so high that they were flowing into the hallway, your mom would say, "Your room is literally overflowing with clothes!"

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS

figuratively / literally

Figuratively means metaphorically, and literally describes something that actually happened. If you say that a guitar solo literally blew your head off, your head should not be attached to your body.

Most of us were taught that figuratively means something other than literal, and that literally means "actually" or "exactly." Somewhere along the line, literally began to be used as, well, figuratively, like this:

But they're also going to create literally a tidal wave of data. (Washington Post)

There wasn't an actual tidal wave, just a lot of data. Here are some examples that make word nerds literally smile:

Today, protesters literally occupy Wall Street, camping in Zuccotti Park at the heart of New York's financial district. (Washington Post)

They're really, actually there.

People can literally drown in their own body fluids. (Scientific American)

"We literally had fish blood running through the parking lot," he says. (Forbes)

Ew, but true.

Figuratively is more imaginative, it's used when you mean something didn't really happen. It's metaphorical, as in these examples with boats and feathers:

Besides, figuratively speaking, they are still in the same boat. (Mayne Reid)

So Josh—as he figuratively put it—had not a feather to fly with. (Burford Delannoy)

Although literally has been horning in on figuratively's turf, they're really not the same, in fact the two words are often go together to complete a picture:

Watching a waterfall drowns out — literally and figuratively — everyday cares. (Seattle Times)

"The Piano Lesson" tells a more haunting story, both literally and figuratively. (New York Times)

Will people understand you if you use literally when you mean figuratively? Sure. Most people will recognize that when you say, "The guitar solo literally blew my head off" it was an awesome solo, but your head is, in fact, still on your neck.

WORD FAMILY

literal: literalise, literalism, literalize, literally, literalness, literals, nonliteral+/literalise: literalised, literalises, literalising/literalize: literalized

USAGE EXAMPLES

"They should be starting with the outcome that they want and working backwards. Right now they are literally just kind of flying blind."

Los Angeles Times(Dec 29, 2016)

Louis CK is a comedian whose work is highly autobiographical, though not literally so.

Salon(Jan 02, 2017)

It was literally by chance that we survived.

BBC(Jan 02, 2017)

adv (intensifier before a figurative expression) without exaggeration

our eyes were literally pinned to TV during the Gulf War

adv in a literal sense

literally translated
he said so literally

Ant

figuratively

in a figurative sense

单词	literally
释义	literally (once / 320 pages) 1adv 2adv The adverb literally means "actually," and we use it when we want others to know we're serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical. If your mom complains that your room is overflowing with clothes, she probably doesn't mean this literally. Your room might be messy and chaotic, but your clothes aren't actually piled so high that they're flowing into the hallway. Your mom is being figurative — she's exaggerating. Now, if your clothes really were piled up so high that they were flowing into the hallway, your mom would say, "Your room is literally overflowing with clothes!" CHOOSE YOUR WORDS figuratively / literally Figuratively means metaphorically, and literally describes something that actually happened. If you say that a guitar solo literally blew your head off, your head should not be attached to your body. Most of us were taught that figuratively means something other than literal, and that literally means "actually" or "exactly." Somewhere along the line, literally began to be used as, well, figuratively, like this: But they're also going to create literally a tidal wave of data. (Washington Post) There wasn't an actual tidal wave, just a lot of data. Here are some examples that make word nerds literally smile: Today, protesters literally occupy Wall Street, camping in Zuccotti Park at the heart of New York's financial district. (Washington Post) They're really, actually there. People can literally drown in their own body fluids. (Scientific American) "We literally had fish blood running through the parking lot," he says. (Forbes) Ew, but true. Figuratively is more imaginative, it's used when you mean something didn't really happen. It's metaphorical, as in these examples with boats and feathers: Besides, figuratively speaking, they are still in the same boat. (Mayne Reid) So Josh—as he figuratively put it—had not a feather to fly with. (Burford Delannoy) Although literally has been horning in on figuratively's turf, they're really not the same, in fact the two words are often go together to complete a picture: Watching a waterfall drowns out — literally and figuratively — everyday cares. (Seattle Times) "The Piano Lesson" tells a more haunting story, both literally and figuratively. (New York Times) Will people understand you if you use literally when you mean figuratively? Sure. Most people will recognize that when you say, "The guitar solo literally blew my head off" it was an awesome solo, but your head is, in fact, still on your neck. WORD FAMILY literal: literalise, literalism, literalize, literally, literalness, literals, nonliteral+/literalise: literalised, literalises, literalising/literalize: literalized USAGE EXAMPLES "They should be starting with the outcome that they want and working backwards. Right now they are literally just kind of flying blind." Los Angeles Times(Dec 29, 2016) Louis CK is a comedian whose work is highly autobiographical, though not literally so. Salon(Jan 02, 2017) It was literally by chance that we survived. BBC(Jan 02, 2017) 1 adv (intensifier before a figurative expression) without exaggeration our eyes were literally pinned to TV during the Gulf War 2 adv in a literal sense literally translated he said so literally Ant figuratively in a figurative sense
随便看	Zetland zettabit zettabyte zeugma Zeus Zeus faber Zhou Zhou dynasty Zhou En-lai Zhuang Zhu Jiang Zhukov ZiB Zibit zidovudine Ziegfeld Ziegfeld Follies Ziegler zig zigadene Zigadenus Zigadenus elegans Zigadenus glaucus Zigadenus nuttalli Zigadenus venenosus