literally

as in accurately
in a literal, true, or accurate way She is not one for hyperbole—all of her warnings should be taken literally. The employees took the CEO's remarks literally and rightfully worried about the future health of the company.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of literally For Drummond, inserting Black voices into spaces—whether literally through design or figuratively through participation in professional contexts—is essential cultural work. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025 The story and news of his death were reported literally at the same, exact time. Tommy McArdle, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025 In the footage shown today were ample musings on and shots of honey bees, as well as Stone’s CEO literally having her hair buzzed off. Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025 So Far The village oracle cursed Kratos by literally bonding the ashes of his deceased family to his body, earning him the Ghost of Sparta nickname for his ghostly white visage. Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for literally

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on literally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!