One of the most commonly misused words is literally. I don't think I can go one day without hearing someone use it incorrectly, and this always causes me to (literally) cringe. I understand that words evolve over time and that language, perhaps unfortunately, is democratic. But we already have a word that emphasizes the veracity of a statement, and it's a very simple one, too - 'actually.' Why should we be lazy and permissive and allow "literally", whose true meaning is very particular and therefore useful for speakers, to become something it's not? 'Literally' functions perfectly as a pair with 'figuratively,' and to misuse it dulls its potency.
In case you stumbled upon this blog while searching for the meaning of 'literally,' here is a brief tutorial:
Literally: (adverb) in a literal manner or sense. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 'literal' means " using or interpreting words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or allegory.
The opposite of 'literal' is 'figurative,' which means in a metaphorical sense.
Correct: You can't literally 'eat your words' - that's why it's called a figure of speech. Unless you made letter-shaped cakes, used them to form words and then proceeded to eat them.
Incorrect: She, like, literally slapped me when I called her an ugly skank!
I was concerned because dictionary.com now lists "virtually, in effect," as a definition for 'literally.' Although this left me disheartened, I was relieved to see that the reliable OED, while including the "without exaggeration" definition, also tagged it as "informal." The dumbed-down definition hasn't won...yet.
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