literally meaning
literally :
exactly, word for word
adverb
▪ She literally jumped for joy.
▪ She exactly jumped for joy.
▪ He literally ran a mile.
▪ He exactly ran a mile.
paraphrasing
▪ exactly – word for word
▪ precisely – with exactness
▪ actually – in fact
▪ truly – really
Pronunciation
literally [ˈlɪtərəli]
The stress is on 'lit' and sounds like 'lit-er-uh-lee'.
Common phrases and grammar about literally
literally - Common meaning
adverb
exactly, word for word
Part of Speech Changes for "literally"
▪ literal (adjective) – exact or true to the word
▪ literalness (noun) – the quality of being exact
Common Expressions with "literally"
▪ literally speaking – exactly as said
▪ take literally – understand exactly
▪ literally true – exactly true
▪ literally impossible – exactly not possible
Important examples of literally in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, literally is often used to emphasize exactness or truth.
Example of a confusing word: figuratively (metaphorically)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Literally is used to emphasize that something is true or exact, often appearing in questions about adverb usage.
literally
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
literally speaking
means 'exactly as said', used to clarify that something is not exaggerated.
take literally
means 'understand exactly as stated', used when someone misunderstands a metaphor or joke.
Differences between similar words and literally
literally
,
exactly
differences
Literally means word for word, while exactly means with precision and correctness.
Words with the same origin as literally
The origin of literally
literally comes from the Latin 'littera', meaning 'letter', and has evolved to mean 'word for word'.
Word structure
The parts are: 'liter' (letter) and 'ally' (adverb), so literally means 'in a letter-by-letter manner'.
Words with the same origin
The root of literally is liter (letter). Words with the same root include literature (written works).
