literally
adv. manneradv. in a way that is exactly true and not an exaggeration. People also use it informally to emphasize a strong feeling, even if the statement is not strictly true.
adv. in a literal manner or sense; exactly as described. In informal register, it is frequently used as an intensifier for non-literal or figurative statements, though this usage is often criticized in formal contexts.
The word 'translated' literally means 'carried across'.
The translation was so accurate that it followed the original text literally, word for word.
While the term was originally intended to be taken literally, modern speakers often employ it as a hyperbolic intensifier to convey the emotional weight of an experience.
From Middle English litteraly. See literal and letter. By surface analysis, literal + -ly.
As a manner adverb, it typically modifies a verb or adjective. When used as an intensifier, it often precedes the word or phrase it emphasizes.
I literally died laughing.I almost died laughing.In formal writing, avoid using 'literally' to mean 'figuratively' or 'extremely' as it contradicts the word's primary meaning of 'exactly true'.