Literally
ˈlɪtərəlɪ
Definitions
2 meaningsIn a literal manner or sense; exactly; word for word.
ˈlɪtərəlɪ
In a literal manner; word for word.
The instructions should be followed literally.
💡 Simply: It means you're saying something exactly how it is, not using any exaggerations or made-up stuff. For example, if you say "I *literally* ate a whole pizza," you really, truly ate the entire pizza.
👶 For kids: When you say something *literally*, it means it really happened and it's true. Like, if you say "I literally have a dog," that means you really do have a dog!
More Examples
She interpreted the poem literally, focusing on the imagery.
He took the directions literally and got completely lost.
How It's Used
"Translate the sentence literally."
"He translated the ancient text literally, capturing its original meaning."
Used to emphasize a statement; often used hyperbolically, to convey strong emotion or emphasis, even when a literal interpretation is impossible or implausible.
ˈlɪtərəlɪ
Used to emphasize a statement; actually.
I was literally jumping for joy when I heard the news.
💡 Simply: It's like you're saying something is *really* true, even if it sounds a bit exaggerated. Like if you say, "I am literally starving!" It means you're really, really hungry, even if you haven't literally not eaten in ages.
👶 For kids: When you say something *literally* in this way, it means it's like, *really* true! Like, "I'm literally so happy!" It just means you're really, really happy!
More Examples
The traffic was literally backed up for miles.
She was literally glued to her phone.
How It's Used
"I was literally dying of laughter."
"My cat is literally obsessed with this toy!"
From Middle French *littéral* (literally, word for word), from Latin *littera* (letter). Originally meant "in a literal sense, word for word", later expanded to mean "really" or "actually".
Historically, 'literally' was always used to emphasize the exactness of something. Its use to convey emphasis, even when a literal interpretation is not possible, is a relatively recent development, and is considered incorrect by some.
Memory tip
Think of letters, each representing the word, and the word itself. They are the literal meaning.