If you add literally to these sentences, you completely change their meaning. ("Doesn't ring a bell" means "I don't recognize it.") I'm sorry, that name really doesn't ring a bell.Fiona really twisted my arm to get me to join the team.("Lemon" is a term for a car that doesn't work well.) My father doesn't want to admit that the car dealer sold him a lemon.Most idiomatic expressions are so common to the English language that you don't need to clarify that you're using them figuratively. You only need to use the word figuratively if there is a risk of your reader or listener accidentally taking you literally. (It's difficult to figure the detective out.) That detective is a hard nut to crack, figuratively speaking.(A lot of events often come at once, but it's not literally raining very much in California). When it rains, it pours - more figuratively than literally in California.(You want to see the person again, but not literally run into them.) I hope to run into you again, figuratively speaking.It refers to the metaphoric and non-literal meaning of words. The main difference between literally and figuratively is that literally basically means "not figuratively."įiguratively is also an adverb, but it relates to figurative language. You want them to apply the actual, non-metaphorical meaning of the words you're using. In these cases, literally lets the reader or listener know that you're not using a metaphor. (The idiom "as cool as a cucumber" means "relaxed," but here it means "not warm.") The baby had a fever yesterday, but today he is literally as cool as a cucumber.(The idiom "sticky fingers" means "steals a lot," but here it just means "fingers with food residue.") Patty literally has sticky fingers after every meal.(The idiom "dime a dozen" means "very common," but here it just means ten cents for twelve limes.) Twelve limes cost ten cents they're literally a dime a dozen.
It also helps when your statement appears to be an idiom or common expression, but it's actually true. Literally in these cases helps readers to know that you're not exaggerating what you're saying. We need to go shopping because we have literally no food in the fridge.
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