Littéralement (en. Literally)

/li.te.ʁa.lə.mɑ̃/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

adverb

Indicates that something is taken at face value.

He literally exploded with joy.

Il a littéralement explosé de joie.

Said of an expression that should not be interpreted figuratively.

She said she was literally on the edge of a cliff.

Elle a dit qu'elle était littéralement au bord du précipice.

To emphasize the truthfulness or accuracy of a statement.

He literally ate the whole cake.

Il a littéralement mangé tout le gâteau.

From Latin 'literaliter', meaning 'according to the letter'.

to speak literally

To express oneself without metaphor.

parler littéralement

to take literally

To interpret something in its primary meaning.

prendre au littéral

literally in the clouds

To be distracted or dreamy.

littéralement dans les nuages

literal

Relating to the letter or literal meaning.

littéral

literature

The collection of written works, especially in the artistic field.

littérature

literariness

Literary quality of a text.

littérarité

To exaggerate for comedic effect.

It was literally the biggest pizza I have ever seen, even though that wasn't true.

C'était littéralement la plus grosse pizza que j'aie jamais vue, même si ce n'était pas vrai.

Used to draw attention to a surprising statement.

I literally discovered a new planet (it's a joke, but it was impressive).

J'ai littéralement découvert une nouvelle planète (c'est une blague, mais c'était impressionnant).