figuratively

«figuratively» in Mova's school dictionary: In a figurative way, not with the plain word-for-word… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adverb

meaning for a pupil

1) In a figurative way, not with the plain word-for-word meaning. tree →

2) Used in the phrase «figuratively speaking» to show you are using an image, not a fact. tree →

sense in the lessons

In English lessons it helps explain idioms and metaphors: «figuratively, he is a lion» means he is brave. It is the opposite of «literally». Phrases: figuratively speaking, both literally and figuratively.

examples

• Figuratively speaking, my brain is full after that test. tree →
• «She is a shining star» is meant figuratively. tree →
• He was figuratively walking on air after the win. tree →
• The climbers reached the top, both literally and figuratively. tree →
• When Mum says the house is a zoo, she means it figuratively. tree →
• Can you explain this sentence figuratively and literally? tree →

note

Opposite: literally. A common mistake is to say «literally» when you mean «figuratively». Spelling: figurative + -ly.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «figuratively» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.