As much as I hate to point it out, saying “Jeff is literally dying for a cookie” is no longer incorrect. The hyperbolic use of the word has become so prevalent that an accepted (and published!) secondary definition of “literally” is “figuratively.”
“Literally” is now a contranym, meaning it can hold opposite meanings. So “literally” can mean both “in a literal sense” and “in a figurative sense.” It’s up to context to tell you which it is. (And make no mistake: it’s always the figurative sense. Nobody uses “literally” literally anymore.)
This is what happens when millions of stupid people misuse a word for too long… the dictionaries get their hands on the misuse and legitimize it.
Interesting…I just read the other day that “nice” used to mean “foolish or stupid,” but officially changed over time. It’s kind of cool to see the evolution of a word in real time. Albeit, for stupid reasons in the case of “literally.”
You forgot the replacement word for “literally”. “Figuratively” should be used in place of it or alternatively, just don’t use the exaggeration.
As much as I hate to point it out, saying “Jeff is literally dying for a cookie” is no longer incorrect. The hyperbolic use of the word has become so prevalent that an accepted (and published!) secondary definition of “literally” is “figuratively.”
“Literally” is now a contranym, meaning it can hold opposite meanings. So “literally” can mean both “in a literal sense” and “in a figurative sense.” It’s up to context to tell you which it is. (And make no mistake: it’s always the figurative sense. Nobody uses “literally” literally anymore.)
This is what happens when millions of stupid people misuse a word for too long… the dictionaries get their hands on the misuse and legitimize it.
But great stuff regardless.
Interesting…I just read the other day that “nice” used to mean “foolish or stupid,” but officially changed over time. It’s kind of cool to see the evolution of a word in real time. Albeit, for stupid reasons in the case of “literally.”