Literally: meaning, definitions and examples
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literally
[ ˈlɪtərəli ]
in everyday speech
Used for emphasis or to express the speaker's strong feeling or opinion.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- He was literally shaking with anger.
- This movie is literally the best thing I've ever seen.
- I literally can't believe what I'm seeing.
- She's literally the funniest person I know.
in a formal context
Used to mean 'in a literal sense' without exaggeration or metaphorically.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The contract stipulates that the work must be completed by a specific date, and failure to do so will result in penalties. This is a literal interpretation of the agreement.
Translations
Translations of the word "literally" in other languages:
🇵🇹 literalmente
🇮🇳 शाब्दिक रूप से
🇩🇪 wörtlich
🇮🇩 secara harfiah
🇺🇦 буквально
🇵🇱 dosłownie
🇯🇵 文字通り (もじどおり)
🇫🇷 littéralement
🇪🇸 literalmente
🇹🇷 kelimenin tam anlamıyla
🇰🇷 말 그대로 (말 그대로)
🇸🇦 حرفيًا
🇨🇿 doslova
🇸🇰 doslova
🇨🇳 字面意义上 (zì miàn yì yì shàng)
🇸🇮 dobesedno
🇮🇸 orðrétt
🇰🇿 сөзбе-сөз
🇬🇪 სიტყვასიტყვით (sitk'vasitk'vit)
🇦🇿 sözbəsöz
🇲🇽 literalmente
Word origin
The word 'literally' originates from the Late Middle English period, coming from the Latin word 'literalis', meaning 'of or belonging to letters or writing'. Over time, its usage has evolved to include both the literal sense and as an intensifier for emphasis in informal speech.
See also: literalist, literalistic.