it literally means vs it means literally

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'It literally means' is commonly used to emphasize that the following statement is true in a strict sense, while 'It means literally' is less common and may sound awkward. The placement of 'literally' before 'means' is more natural and idiomatic.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 1902 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to emphasize that the following statement is true in a strict sense.

"it literally means"

This phrase is used to stress that the meaning being conveyed is accurate or true in a literal sense.

Show examples from the web [+]

It's a Japanese word that has been a popular informal word in English since the late 1800s. It literally means "if it is to be that way," combining sayo, "that way," ...
Jun 23, 2014 ... Why do Punjabis use the phrase "Chakk de Fatte", although it literally means just to pick up some wooden planks? UpdateCancel ...
Aug 30, 2013 ... No, I won't accept it. Literally means LITERALLY. And now that it's in a bloody dictionary I'm both enraged and saddened. Stupid people ruin ...
Au fait, pronounced (oh fey), is borrowed from French. It literally means to the point or to the fact. In English we used it to say that someone has the whole picture, ...

Alternatives:

it actually means
it precisely means
it truly means
it verbatim means
it strictly means

This phrase is correct but less common in English. It may sound awkward and less idiomatic compared to 'it literally means'.

"it means literally"

While grammatically correct, this phrase is less commonly used and may not flow as naturally as 'it literally means'.

Show examples from the web [+]

Aug 7, 2015 ... SHATTA WALE @shattawalegh 7 Aug 2015. Top Definition. ototo. It means literally: younger brother. Don´t talk with unknown people, ototo.
Sep 21, 2010 ... So it means literally and it means the opposite of literally. It's like we're speaking two different languages ("we're" in this case referring to myself ...
Jan 21, 2011 ... ... is malleable and should (should!?) evolve with cultural application…WTF!? The word means what it means…Literally!!! Aarrggghhhh…. ;[ ...
It comes from French, where it means, literally, of rigor and, less literally, according to strictness. De rigueur is also a common expression in that language, where ...

Alternatives:

it means exactly
it means precisely
it means in a literal sense
it means in the strict sense
it means truly

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it literally means vs it means literally