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literal

intermediateB1

/ˈlɪtərəl/ · lit-er-al

Taking words in their most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration.

Meanings

adjectiveformal

Taking words in their most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration.

الفاظ کو ان کے سب سے بنیادی معنی میں بغیر کسی استعارے یا مبالغے کے لینا۔

حقیقی

haqeeqi

Synonyms

exactword-for-wordverbatimصحیحالفاظیحرف بہ حرف

Antonyms

figurativemetaphoricalabstractاستعارتیتشبیہیغیر حقیقی

Common Collocations

  • literal meaning
  • literal translation
  • literal interpretation

Example Sentences

The literal translation of the poem does not convey its emotions.

شعر کا لفظی ترجمہ اس کی جذبات کو منتقل نہیں کرتا۔

Sher ka lafzi tarjumah is ki jazbat ko muntakil nahi karta.

He took her words in a literal sense and misunderstood her.

اس نے اس کی باتوں کو حقیقی معنوں میں لیا اور اسے غلط سمجھا۔

Us ne is ki baton ko haqeeqi ma'non mein liya aur ise ghalat samjha.

In literature, a literal approach can sometimes miss deeper meanings.

ادب میں، حقیقی نقطہ نظر بعض اوقات گہرے معنی سے محروم رہ سکتا ہے۔

Adab mein, haqeeqi nuqta nazar ba'az awqat gehre ma'ani se mehroom reh sakta hai.

Easily Confused With

literalism:Literalism refers to a strict adherence to the literal interpretation of texts, often seen in contrast to more metaphorical or figurative interpretations.

Word Family

literally
adverbحقیقتاً
literalness
nounحقیقت

See Also

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 'literal' as 'letter-al' – sticking closely to the letters.

Imagine a document with bold letters that convey the exact meaning without fluff.

✍️ Urdu Poetry

غالب! مجھے زندان سے نہیں، صداقتوں سے ڈر ہے

Ghalib! Mujhe zindan se nahi, sadaqatoun se dar hai.

Ghalib! I am not afraid of the prison, but of the truths.

Mirza Ghalib, Unverified

* Poetry attribution is AI-generated and may require verification.

🗣️ Urdu Proverb

حقیقت سامنے آتی ہے.

Haqeeqat samne aati hai.

The truth comes to light.

📖 Etymology

Origin: Latin "literalem" — belonging to letters

First known use: 14th century

The word 'literal' has its origins in Latin and was adopted into Middle English, where it retained its meaning related to being true to the letters of a text.