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
That brawl with the Rockies — figuratively and almost literally — finished with the Dodgers becoming the first team to win 60 games this season.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2026
Summer travel to Europe is hot (both literally and figuratively), leading hotel rates to skyrocket in some places.
—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
And maybe that’s what put the wind in, literally, in the sails of the—or figuratively and also literally—in the sails of those ships.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for figuratively
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Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2026
Summer travel to Europe is hot (both literally and figuratively), leading hotel rates to skyrocket in some places.
—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
And maybe that’s what put the wind in, literally, in the sails of the—or figuratively and also literally—in the sails of those ships.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for figuratively
Cite this Entry
“Figuratively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figuratively. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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