literallyadverb
uk/ˈlɪt.ər.əl.i/us/ˈlɪt̬.ɚ.əl.i/B2 using the real or original meaning of a word or phrase:
They were responsible for literally millions of deaths.
We live literally just round the corner from her.
If you translate literally, you translate each word in a text separately, without looking at how the words are used together in a phrase or sentence:
Translations that are done too literally often don't flow well or don't sound natural.
informal used to emphasize what you are saying:
He missed that kick literally by miles.
I was literally bowled over by the news.
informal simply or just:
Then you literally cut the sausage down the middle.
More examples
- He literally flew across the room.
- I literally had a heart attack when I heard the news.
- They were literally over the moon at the news.
- She was literally tearing her hair out with grief.
- He was literally millions of miles ahead of the other runners.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Accurate and exact
- accuracy
- accurate
- aright
- authoritative
- bang
- be bang on idiom
- exact
- exactly
- flat
- in so many words idiom
- infallible
- infallibly
- letter-perfect
- literal
- strictly speaking idiom
- technically
- to the day idiom
- to the letter idiom
- truly
- unerring
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Linguistics: very & extreme
General