figuratively
34
4.8
- adverb
- /ˈfɪɡjərətivli/
:
en sentido figurado
- I'm not saying that figuratively.
- literally and figuratively
- figuratively speaking
- figuratively at least
And then because humans will will lean into these things literally and figuratively, that works.
- And then because humans will will lean into these things literally and figuratively, that works.
- So we are not just figuratively, we are literally Stardust.
- Just bulldoze it down literally, not figuratively.
- As their island collapses, Donald Trump is letting Puerto Rico figuratively and literally die.
- The trend is to take down the walls literally and then figuratively to facilitate as much interaction as possible.
- So yes, that is where the intelligence agencies, but you know, at a point it's overkill, literally and figuratively, right?
- A featured scientist figuratively dropped a marshmallow onto a neutron star, liberating tons of hypothetical energy.
- I think whether it's figuratively or literally, you need to pull people out of these old silos that might exist in a small or large company, right?
- A featured scientists figuratively dropped a marshmallow onto a neutron star, liberating tons of hypothetical energy.
- I mean, you took this known universe and and again, figuratively and with a Cartesian coordinate system, you're able to you're you're slicing it up.
Examples
-
Children are not a part of their parents, nor, except figuratively, do they "belong" to them.
Academic text (1998) -
My strange life as a musician has taken me to a lot of very odd places, literally and figuratively.
-
In this case, it's figuratively saying, watch out.
-
And by "On your arm," you mean both figuratively and for actual physical support.
-
And figuratively, it looks even worse.
-
Whether he meant these things figuratively or not can be discussed.
Academic text (1998) -
- I assumed you were speaking figuratively.
-
In childbirth, women need something to hold on to for support, both literally and figuratively.
Academic text (2004) -
The planetarium of the title stands figuratively for the process of mediation present in human interactions.
Academic text (2017) -
When she said she was flying figuratively, she meant she felt very happy and free.
Synonyms
35
6.7
Not literally, it uses one thing to describe another
24
6.0
In a way that shows an idea instead of saying it directly
In a way that is not meant to be taken literally
In a non-literal way that uses words or images to show an idea
Antonyms
How Figurative
Surface Forms
Morphology
figuratively = figurative (semi-transparent) = figur + ative + ly
While the suffix '-ly' clearly indicates an adverbial form, the metaphorical meaning of 'figurative' may not be immediately apparent to learners.
Etymology
The word figuratively comes from the same root as figure, from old figura, which means 'shape' or 'form'. Think of it as talking in pictures: to say something figuratively is to use a 'shape' or image for an idea, not to mean it in the exact, literal way.