See Also: literally(dictionary)
literally(dictionary)

literally (oh)



according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression
::The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning 'sweet milk'.
::I said I felt like quitting, but I didn't mean it literally (=I did not mean exactly what I said) !
take sb/sth literally
to believe exactly what someone or something says rather than trying to understand their general meaning
::She takes the Bible literally.
used to emphasize that something, especially a large number, is actually true
::The Olympic Games were watched by literally billions of people.
spoken used to emphasize a strong expression or word that is not being used in its real or original meaning. Some people consider this use to be incorrect.
::Dad was literally blazing with anger.