metaphorically
/mˌɛtəfˈɔɹɪkli/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.96 in modern English
26
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
5
Syllables
12
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a metaphorical manner; not literally; by means of metaphor.
Example Sentences
- "He conveyed his teachings metaphorically."
- "[…] 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."
- "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."
- "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."
- "Metaphorically, he was crushed."
Etymology
Etymology tree English metaphor Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English metaphoric English -al English metaphorical Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English metaphorically From metaphorical + -ly.
Inflected Forms
more metaphorically (comparative)
most metaphorically (superlative)