figuratively
adverb
fig·u·ra·tive·ly
ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv-lē 
: in a figurative way: such as
a
: with a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal
Speaking of panic, I recently ran into (figuratively, not literally) a friend who was ranting about giant "bees" digging holes in his lawn.—
Ron Kujawski
Ron KujawskiPoor small-town America. During the last gasps of this fevered election, pollsters, zealous campaign foot soldiers and reporters are kicking down its doors, figuratively speaking …—Doug Colligan
Doug Colligan
b
: in a way intended to represent the form or figure of something or someone having objective reality : in a way that is not purely abstract
Franz Kline, who had always painted figuratively, made his breakthrough in 1949 when he looked at one of his sketches in a Bell-Opticon magnifier, and saw the rough, thrusting horizontals and verticals that became the basis of his new abstract style.—Calvin Tomkins
Calvin TomkinsExamples of figuratively in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The heat was on literally and figuratively this week as the Annecy International Animation Festival and Cannes Lions took place under a scorching sun in Europe.
—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
So says Season 5, literally and figuratively.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 June 2026
Both figuratively and literally.
—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The odds are stacked against Iran, both literally and figuratively, so anything this team can accomplish will be impressive.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for figuratively
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
So says Season 5, literally and figuratively.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 June 2026
Both figuratively and literally.
—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The odds are stacked against Iran, both literally and figuratively, so anything this team can accomplish will be impressive.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for figuratively
Cite this Entry
“Figuratively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figuratively. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
