Use literally when the exact wording or real facts matter, especially to contrast with a figurative reading.
Use literally when the exact wording or real facts matter, especially to contrast with a figurative reading.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| I literally love this song. | I really love this song. |
| She literally translated the joke and it was funny. | She translated the joke freely and it was funny. |
| He literally run five miles every morning. | He literally runs five miles every morning. |
Use literally as an intensifier in conversation and informal writing, but avoid it where exactness matters.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The candidate literally destroyed the argument in the report. | The candidate dismantled the argument in the report. |
| I literally died laughing. | I laughed very hard. |
| The budget was literally a disaster. | The budget was a disaster. |
Use the exact sense when accuracy matters, and treat the emphatic sense as informal because it still annoys some readers.
I literally died laughing is not literal, so it works only as informal exaggeration.
From literal plus -ly, ultimately from Latin littera, meaning a letter of the alphabet. The exact sense is old, while the emphatic use has been documented since the 18th century.
What does literally mean?
literally means in the exact or plain sense, without metaphor.
Can literally be used for emphasis?
Yes. literally is often used informally to add force, even when the statement is exaggerated.
Is the emphatic use of literally new?
No. Dictionary evidence records emphatic literally from the 18th century.
Is literally the same as figuratively?
No. The emphatic use does not mean figuratively, it works more like really or virtually.
Should literally be used in formal writing?
Use literally in formal writing only when exact truth or exact wording is meant.
What is the opposite of literally?
The usual opposite is figuratively, meaning in a metaphorical or non-literal way.