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literally

/ˈlɪtəɹəli/

adverb

Meaning

  • Word for word; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor

    "When I saw on the news that there would be no school tomorrow because of the snowstorm, I literally jumped for joy, and hit my head on the ceiling fan."

  • (degree, contranym) Used non-literally as an intensifier for figurative statements: virtually, so to speak (often considered incorrect; see usage notes)

    "He was so surprised, he literally jumped twenty feet in the air."

  • Used to intensify or dramatise non-figurative statements; tending towards a meaningless filler word in repeated use.

    "I had no idea, so I was literally guessing."

  • Used as a generic downtoner: just, merely.

    "You literally put it in the microwave for five minutes and it's done."

Synonyms

actually,
really,
merely,
virtually