literally

adverb

Definition of literallynext
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.

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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 His only weak spot, literally and figuratively, is on still rings, where his difficulty score is a full point lower than the other top men. — Nancy Armour, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 For me, that song, literally, every bar, every bit of it is the soul of the album. — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 There’s former billionaires throwing their stuff out in the rush of packing, terror in the streets, the (fake) sky literally falling down. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 The shoes feature nostalgic, thick platform soles that quite literally take any ensemble to the next level. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
  1. accurately
  2. directly
Adverb
  • Other experts said our testing method would not accurately depict lead levels across a particular yard because of how variable the contamination can be.
    — Cassandra Garibay, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The signs would also direct visitors to locations, not yet identified, where the administration says American history is presented more accurately.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of accurately
Adverb
  • Company executives believe bringing fuel directly to fleet yards could remove that barrier.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The organization does not tolerate any actions that directly contradict the values and policies of the Fraternity and holds strict rulings against members and chapters that violate Fraternity expectations and the law.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of directly

Browse Nearby Words

literality
literally
literalness
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Cite this Entry

“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of literally for Spanish Speakers

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