metaphorically
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Etymology tree
English metaphor
English metaphoric
English metaphorical
English metaphorically
From metaphorical + -ly.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adverb
[edit]metaphorically (comparative more metaphorically, superlative most metaphorically)
- (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.
- 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in The A.V. Club[1], archived from the original on 15 August 2012:
- Mr. Burns is similarly perfectly cast as a heartless capitalist willing to do anything for a quick buck, even if it means endangering the lives of those around him and Marge elegantly rounds out the main cast as a good, pure-hearted and overly indulgent woman who sees the big, good heart (literally and metaphorically) of a monstrous man-brute.
- 2021 January 13, Steven Poole, “'Insurrection': how an old word for an old thing was Trumped”, in The Guardian[2], archived from the original on 20 January 2021:
- Thinking more metaphorically, his American contemporary James Russell Lowell wrote: “It is not the insurrections of ignorance that are dangerous, but the revolts of intelligence.” Had he lived to the year 2021, he might have changed his mind.
- (as a sentence adverb) Used to draw attention that what follows is a metaphor, not to be taken literally
- Metaphorically, he was crushed.
Antonyms
[edit]Coordinate terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]in a metaphoric manner
|
Categories:
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂el- (grow)
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *leyg- (like)
- English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adverbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English manner adverbs
- English speech-act adverbs