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Which one to use?Beginneradverbioadverbio
LiterallyvsFiguratively
"Literally" = in the exact, word-for-word sense; "figuratively" = as a metaphor, hyperbole, or figure of speech, not the actual thing.
Side-by-side comparison
Literally
adverbio"Literally" means something actually happens in a real, physical sense, not as a metaphor. If something literally exploded, there was a real explosion.
I literally have not eaten anything since yesterday morning. I am starving.
The flood literally swept away everything they owned, they lost all their possessions.
She was literally the only person who volunteered, so she got the job.
Figuratively
adverbio"Figuratively" means you are using an image or exaggeration to express an idea, not that something really happened. Most metaphors are figurative, not literal facts.
I was figuratively drowning in paperwork, my desk was covered in documents from every department.
He figuratively moved mountains to get the project approved before the deadline.
She figuratively exploded when she heard the news, though in reality she stayed very calm.
Common mistake
- •"I literally died laughing" is a contradiction: if you did not actually die, "literally" is wrong.
- •"Literally" = exactly as stated, verifiable in the real world.
- •"Figuratively" = as a figure of speech (metaphor, hyperbole).
Trick to remember it
- •Test: is the statement exactly true in the physical world? Yes = "literally".
- •No = "figuratively" (or just drop the adverb, the figure of speech speaks for itself).
Quick rule
- •"Literally" = exactly as stated, in the real physical sense.
- •"Figuratively" = as a figure of speech, as metaphor or hyperbole.
Did you know?
The hyperbolic use of LITERALLY to reinforce figurative expressions has been documented in English since at least the 18th century. Jane Austen used it this way in "Northanger Abbey" (1817): "He was literally all skin and bone." Linguist Steven Pinker defends this use as semantically legitimate: LITERALLY has evolved into a grammatical intensifier (like "really" or "absolutely") alongside its original sense. Some modern dictionaries (Merriam-Webster, Oxford) already list the informal use as valid. However, linguistic purism considers it a degraded usage. It is one of the most popular debates between prescriptivists (who defend the original meaning) and descriptivists (who accept the evolution of use) in modern linguistics.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He was so hungry he _____ ate the whole pizza by himself.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She was _____ on top of the world after getting the job. She was so happy.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
ExplicitvsImplicit
"Explicit" = stated directly and clearly, leaving nothing implied; "implicit" = understood or implied without being directly stated.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
ActuallyvsCurrently
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy