Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Literally, what a strange word. The primary definition is actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy. But people often misuse it, such as in this sentence: "When I heard that my mother had cancer, I was literally torn apart inside." The speaker wasn't ACTUALLY torn apart inside, hence the use of literally was incorrect.
I looked up the word literally on dictionary.com and found this:
?Usage note Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning ?in effect, virtually,? a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning ?actually, without exaggeration?: The senator was literally buried alive in the Iowa primaries. The parties were literally trading horses in an effort to reach a compromise. The use is often criticized; nevertheless, it appears in all but the most carefully edited writing. Although this use of literally irritates some, it probably neither distorts nor enhances the intended meaning of the sentences in which it occurs. The same might often be said of the use of literally in its earlier sense ?actually?: The garrison was literally wiped out: no one survived.
And saw that one of the definitions actually matches it's misused meaning. Why must some words be their own antonyms???
