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# figuratively

adverb

«figuratively» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. In a figurative way, not with the plain word-for-word meaning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#m1)
2. Used in the phrase «figuratively speaking» to show you are using an image, not a fact. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#m2)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x1)
- «She is a shining star» is meant figuratively. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x2)
- He was figuratively walking on air after the win. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x3)
- The climbers reached the top, both literally and figuratively. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x4)
- When Mum says the house is a zoo, she means it figuratively. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x5)
- Can you explain this sentence figuratively and literally? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/#x6)

### Note

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

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «figuratively» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/figuratively/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«figuratively» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/figuratively.html) on Mova free.