literally

UK: /ˈlɪt^ərəli/ US: /ˈlɪtərəli/ ,(lit′ər ə lē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lit•er•al•ly /ˈlɪtərəli/   adv. 

1. in the literal or strict sense:
   deciding what the word meant literally.
2. in a literal manner;
   word for word:
   to translate literally.
3. actually;
   without exaggeration or inaccuracy:
   The city was literally destroyed.
4. This word is sometimes used to add emphasis to a statement and means "in effect;
   very nearly'':
   The senator was literally buried alive in the primary (= The senator lost the election badly).

See -lit-. Usage

The last meaning of literally is sometimes criticized as incorrect, since it appears to be the opposite of definitions 1 and 3. Nevertheless, many speakers use this last sense of literally to add emphasis to a statement.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lit•er•al•ly  (lit′ər ə lē), adv. 

1. in the literal or strict sense:
   What does the word mean literally?
2. in a literal manner;
   word for word:
   to translate literally.
3. actually;
   without exaggeration or inaccuracy:
   The city was literally destroyed.
4. in effect;
   in substance;
   very nearly;
   virtually.

• literal + -ly 1525–35

Usage

Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning "in effect, virtually,'' a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning "actually, without exaggeration'':
The senator was literally buried alive in the Iowa primaries.
The parties were literally trading horses in an effort to reach a compromise.
The use is often criticized; nevertheless, it appears in all but the most carefully edited writing. Although this use of literally irritates some, it probably neither distorts nor enhances the intended meaning of the sentences in which it occurs. The same might often be said of the use of literally in its earlier sense "actually'':
The garrison was literally wiped out: no one survived.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

literally / ˈlɪtərəlɪ/ adverb

1. in a literal manner
2. (intensifier): there were literally thousands of people

USAGE
The use of literally as an intensifier is common, esp in informal contexts. In some cases, it provides emphasis without adding to the meaning: the house was literally only five minutes walk away. Often, however, its use results in absurdity: the news was literally an eye-opener to me. It is therefore best avoided in formal contexts