What does literal mean?

using the basic meaning of words, without metaphor following the exact words rather than the overall meaning

How is literal pronounced?

UK /ˈlɪtərəl/, US /ˈlɪtərəl/.

/ˈlɪtərəl/

CEFR level B2Topic EducationWord #5265 in the learning path

字面的；非比喻的

adj. using the basic meaning of words, without metaphor

字面的；非比喻的

adj. following the exact words rather than the overall meaning

逐字的

I meant cold feet in the literal sense.

我说的就是脚冷，没有什么比喻含义。

A literal translation may preserve individual words while failing to convey the cultural meaning of an expression.

逐字翻译可能保留每个词，却无法传达某种表达背后的文化含义。

literal指字面义；literary指文学的，注意区别。

What does literal mean?: using the basic meaning of words, without metaphor following the exact words rather than the overall meaning
How is literal pronounced?: UK /ˈlɪtərəl/, US /ˈlɪtərəl/. Use the audio buttons above to listen.