literally
Word for word
The adverb literally indicates a factual meaning as opposed to a figurative interpretation: They were literally chased out of town by an angry mob.
Literally is not successful as an intensifier: Their new album will literally turn the world upside down.
If someone translates a work literally, they give a version in the target language that may be truer to the words than to the meaning of the original.
In a genuine manner
- reallyIn actual fact
- actuallyIn truth, not supposedly
- seriouslyWith sincere intent
- genuinelyIn a real manner
honestly · absolutely · completely · totally · utterly · entirely · wholly · fully
Exactly correct, no error
- accurateConforming to fact
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- verbatimIn identical wording
- actualExisting in fact
strict · faithful · true · unembellished · unexaggerated · factual · authentic · genuine
In non-literal terms
- metaphoricallySymbolically, not literally
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- dramaticStrikingly expressive or sudden
hyperbolically · loosely · colloquially · informally · expressively · rhetorical · amplification · embellishment
Repeated words from another
- transcribeConvert to written form
- transcriptVerbatim written account
- copyIdentical reproduction made
- reproduceCopy or breed
replicate · echo · repeat · restate · recite · word-for-word · direct quote · citation
Cause to become
- interpretExtract or convey meaning
- translateExpress in another language
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- directUndeviating or to guide
faithful · strict · calque · loan translation · gloss · construe · decode · transliterate
truly
In a genuine manner
genuinely · honestly · absolutely · completely · totally · utterly · entirely · wholly · fully · downright
precise
Exactly correct, no error
- accurateConforming to fact
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- verbatimIn identical wording
actual · strict · faithful · true · unembellished · unexaggerated · factual · authentic · genuine · real
figuratively
In non-literal terms
- metaphoricallySymbolically, not literally
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
dramatic · hyperbolically · loosely · colloquially · informally · expressively · rhetorical · amplification · embellishment · intensifier
quote
Repeated words from another
- transcribeConvert to written form
- transcriptVerbatim written account
- copyIdentical reproduction made
reproduce · replicate · echo · repeat · restate · recite · word-for-word · direct quote · citation · excerpt
render
Cause to become
- interpretExtract or convey meaning
- translateExpress in another language
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
direct · faithful · strict · calque · loan translation · gloss · construe · decode · transliterate
- speech habitsmumbling, stuttering, stammering, rambling, interrupting
- grammar debatesirregardless, ain't, split infinitive, singular they, could of
- misused wordsirregardless, ironic, disinterested, nauseous, comprise
- speech fillersuh, um, er, hmm, like
- fillersfiller, gap filler, filler material, caulk, grout
- repetitive speechrepetition, echo, reiteration, stutter, stammer
literallyfiguratively
In non-literal terms
metaphorically · symbolically · allegorically · abstractly · emblematically
literallyloosely
Without being tight
freely · imprecisely · approximately · roughly · broadly
literallyvirtually
Nearly but not quite
practically · almost · nearly · basically · essentially
- literal translationExact rendering across languages
- literal meaningExact, non-figurative interpretation
- taken literally
- literal interpretationTaking words at face value
- taking things literally
- literal thinkingUnderstanding words exactly stated
literal, literalness, literalism, nonliteral, literalist, literalists, literalistic, literalizing, literalized