Don't take it literally. He is inclined to exaggerate.
Source: tatoeba (41568)
Literally
/ˈlɪtəɹəli/
Synonyms for "literally" (57 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (12)
Strong matches (17)
Related words (28)
positivelypreciselyreallyrightrigidlyrigorouslysquaresquarelystraightstrictlyto the lettertrulyundeviatinglyunerringlyverballyverbatimverbatim et litteratimword by wordword for word
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: absolutely, actually, certainly, closely, copy verbatim.
- Sentence evidence is available for literally, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "literally".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "literally"
Keep "literally" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "literally" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "literally", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "literally" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
8 entriesabsolutelyemphatic interjectionexclamation of certaintyexclamatory wordextremelysurprise interjectiontotallyutterly
Collocations
12 entriesemphatic interjectionexclamatory wordliteral interpretationliteral meaningliteral truthliterally accurateliterally exactliterally neverliterally speakingliterally truenot literallysurprise interjection
Inflections
2 entriesmore literallymost literally
Derivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
73 translations across 41 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- letterlik adv (not as an intensifier)
Arabic
3 entries- بِٱلْحَرْف adv (not as an intensifier)
- حَرْفِيًّا adv (not as an intensifier)
- حَرْفِيَّا adv (not as an intensifier)
Armenian
1 entries- բառացիորեն adv (not as an intensifier)
Catalan
1 entries- literalment adv (not as an intensifier)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 按照字面 adv (not as an intensifier)
Czech
1 entries- doslova adv (not as an intensifier)
Danish
4 entries- bogstavelig adv (not as an intensifier)
- bogstavelig taget adv (not as an intensifier)
- bogstavelig talt adv (not as an intensifier)
- bogstaveligt adv (not as an intensifier)
Dutch
1 entries- letterlijk adv (not as an intensifier)
Esperanto
2 entries- laŭlitere adv (not as an intensifier)
- laŭvorte adv (not as an intensifier)
Faroese
1 entries- bókstavliga adv (not as an intensifier)
Finnish
2 entries- kirjaimellisesti adv (not as an intensifier)
- sananmukaisesti adv (not as an intensifier)
French
4 entries- littéralement adv (not as an intensifier)
- mot à mot adv (not as an intensifier)
- texto adv (not as an intensifier)
- textuellement adv (not as an intensifier)
Galician
1 entries- literalmente adv (not as an intensifier)
Georgian
3 entries- პირდაპირი გაგებით adv (not as an intensifier)
- პირდაპირი მნიშვნელობით adv (not as an intensifier)
- სიტყვასიტყვით adv (not as an intensifier)
German
2 entries- buchstäblich adv (not as an intensifier)
- wörtlich adv (not as an intensifier)
Greek
2 entries- κατά γράμμα adv (not as an intensifier)
- κυριολεκτικά adv (not as an intensifier)
Hebrew
2 entries- בְּאֹפֶן מִלּוּלִי adv (not as an intensifier)
- פְּשׁוּטוֹ כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ adv (not as an intensifier)
Hungarian
3 entries- szabályosan adv (not as an intensifier)
- szó szerint adv (not as an intensifier)
- szóról szóra adv (not as an intensifier)
Icelandic
1 entries- bókstaflega adv (not as an intensifier)
Italian
1 entries- letteralmente adv (not as an intensifier)
Japanese
2 entries- 文字通り adv (not as an intensifier)
- 額面通り adv (not as an intensifier)
Latin
1 entries- ad verbum adv (not as an intensifier)
Macedonian
1 entries- буквално adv (not as an intensifier)
Malayalam
1 entries- അക്ഷരാർത്ഥത്തിൽ adv (not as an intensifier)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- bokstavelig adv (not as an intensifier)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- bokstaveleg adv (not as an intensifier)
Persian
1 entries- لفظا adv (not as an intensifier)
Polish
1 entries- dosłownie adv (not as an intensifier)
Portuguese
1 entries- literalmente adv (not as an intensifier)
Romanian
1 entries- literalmente adv (not as an intensifier)
Russian
2 entries- буква́льно adv (not as an intensifier)
- досло́вно adv (not as an intensifier)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- bukvalno adv (not as an intensifier)
- doslovce adv (not as an intensifier)
- doslovno adv (not as an intensifier)
- tačno tako adv (not as an intensifier)
Slovak
1 entries- doslova adv (not as an intensifier)
Spanish
3 entries- literal adv (not as an intensifier)
- literalmente adv (not as an intensifier)
- textualmente adv (not as an intensifier)
Swedish
2 entries- bokstavligen adv (not as an intensifier)
- bokstavligt talat adv (not as an intensifier)
Tatar
3 entries- сүзгә-сүз adv (not as an intensifier)
- сүзен сүзгә adv (not as an intensifier)
- һич үзгәртмичә adv (not as an intensifier)
Turkish
2 entries- harfiyen adv (not as an intensifier)
- resmen adv (not as an intensifier)
Ukrainian
3 entries- буква́льно adv (not as an intensifier)
- літера́льно adv (not as an intensifier)
- у прямо́му се́нсі adv (not as an intensifier)
Urdu
1 entries- لفظی معنی adv (not as an intensifier)
Walloon
1 entries- mot po mot adv (not as an intensifier)
Yiddish
1 entries- ממש adv (not as an intensifier)
Sample sentences
35 total sentences available.
Don't take that too literally.
Source: tatoeba (41924)
The poor dog was literally torn apart by the lion.
Source: tatoeba (63453)
Military discipline is literally rigid.
Source: tatoeba (237792)
Showing 4 of 35 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "literally"?
Closest matches include absolutely, actually, certainly, closely, copy verbatim.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "literally"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.