literal Antonyms
Opposite of literal
• adjective (Context 1)
Taking words in their most basic, exact sense without metaphor, exaggeration, or allegory.
"A purely figurative interpretation of the poem misses its deeper symbolic meaning."
• adjective (Context 2)
Reproducing the exact words of an original text or speech, especially in a translation.
"The scholar provided a free translation of the ancient Greek manuscript alongside an idiomatic version."
• noun (Context 3)
A notation in source code representing a fixed value directly, such as a number, character, or string, rather than a variable (in computer programming).
"In the expression, the string variable is enclosed in quotation marks so the compiler treats it as raw text."
• adjective (Context 4)
Lacking imagination or subtlety; overly prosaic and matter-of-fact (of a person or their thinking).
"He was too imaginative to appreciate the playful irony in his colleague's remarks."
Similar words to literal
Words similar to literal shift depending on context. Common synonyms include: