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 That is literally what you’re hired for, and yet, still, people try to avoid it. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 He was filled with ambition to see more of the country, write a spy thriller and literally climb more hills. — Andrea Javor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Poor Jennifer Connelly is once again trapped in supportive wife mode, despite Daniela getting an arc that literally separates her from her family in order to work on her own issues. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026 Why would literally anyone use these messed up AI photos to advertise their restaurant? — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for literally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literally
  1. accurately
  2. directly
Adverb
  • There are very few tools that can accurately assess skills, but relying on managerial judgment alone is fraught with biases like the halo, horn and recency effects.
    — Tonushree Mondal, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But Matt Kaufman, chief safety officer at Roblox, said last year that for people between about 5 and 25, the system can accurately estimate their age within one or two years.
    — Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of accurately
Adverb
  • Now Betancourt’s company, North American Blue Energy Partners, based in Barbados, could be one of the first private firms to directly participate in Venezuela’s oil industry since it was nationalized half a century ago.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Playing the helpful citizen, Martinez drove his literal truckload of ALPR bits directly to the Sheriff’s department, where he was promptly taken into custody.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of directly

Browse Nearby Words

literality
literally
literalness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Literally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literally. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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