metaphorically

English

Etymology

From metaphorical +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Adverb

metaphorically (comparative more metaphorically, superlative most metaphorically)

  2. (manner) In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
    Synonym: nonliterally
    He conveyed his teachings metaphorically.
    • 1872, George Eliot, Middlemarch, I.5:
      […] as, for example, in the present case of throwing herself, metaphorically speaking, at Mr Casaubon's feet, and kissing his unfashionable shoe-ties as if he were a Protestant Pope.
  4. (as a sentence adverb) Used to draw attention that what follows is a metaphor, not to be taken literally
    Metaphorically, he was crushed.

Antonyms

Coordinate terms

Translations

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.