Dictionary
literally
adverb lit·er·al·ly \ˈli-tə-rə-lē, ˈli-trə-lē, ˈli-tər-lē\
Definition of LITERALLY
2
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Usage Discussion of LITERALLY
Since some people take sense 2 to be the opposite of sense 1, it has been frequently criticized as a misuse. Instead, the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary.
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Examples of LITERALLY
- … make the whole scene literally glow with the fires of his imagination. —Alfred Kazin, Harper's, December 1968
- Even Muff did not miss our periods of companionship, because about that time she grew up and started having literally millions of kittens. —Jean Stafford, Bad Characters, 1954
- Lily, the caretaker's daughter, was literally run off her feet. Hardly had she brought one gentleman into the little pantry … than the wheezy hall-door bell clanged again and she had to scamper along the bare hallway to let in another guest. —James Joyce, Dubliners, 1914
- … yet the wretch, absorbed in his victuals, and naturally of an unutterable dullness, did not make a single remark during dinner, whereas I literally blazed with wit. —William Makepeace Thackeray, Punch, 30 Oct. 1847
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Origin of LITERALLY
(see 1literal)
First Known Use: 1533
Rhymes with LITERALLY
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Next Word in the Dictionary: literaryPrevious Word in the Dictionary: literalizeAll Words Near: literally
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