What Word Would You Use Instead Of "Literally"?

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I was reading a discussion recently about if you should only use the word literally in the correct way or if it's OK to use it to add emphasis to figurative things. "I literally shopped 'til I dropped" could work either way but what word would you use to let people know you actually did collapse after shopping if "literally" isn't taken literally any more? I looked up some synonyms and "actually" or "genuinely" seem like good alternatives.

"I've literally punched a boy classmate until he bled and cried"
That's what actually happened when I was at 5th grade.
I genuinely am violent and angry enough as a child to make it plausible.


As for metaphors? I could've cared less.

Sometimes it's funny if people thought I was joking about something that seem exaggerated when I actually did it.
Funnier, if one finds out I was being literal.

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Leave it out.

The metaphor, if strong enough, will work on its own.

The metaphor, if too cliche, cannot be improved with the word literally.

I do use "literally" for emphasis, but only when I literally mean "literally" It depends on the phrase as to what alternative, if any, I would use when "literally" would not be true. I might say "I nearly/ nearly literally shopped 'til I dropped," but if, say, I tripped and fell or dropped something I was holding at some point in the duration, I would say "I shopped 'til I dropped, literally," attempting to be humorous but still properly using the word "literally."

As stated by various others, it's used as a term of emphasis.

It's not really "classy"----but it is an example of linguistics in action.

I would never use the term as a term of emphasis.

Instead of "literally," I would pick out some other term of emphasis----like "mad," "wicked," "way (cool)," etc.

Use the Hemingway method.

Omit modifiers (i.e., "literally", "practically", "virtually", et cetera) from your speech and writing.

The "Subject-Verb-Object" sentence structure is sufficient for most correspondence.

If you want to sound like a stupid illiterate then use the word "literally" figuratively.

Otherwise only use literally literally. And find some other way to emphasize your statement. Maybe use the word "practically", or "virtually". I practically shopped til I dropped!

Sometimes you can use both literally and figuritively in the same sentence if ... a cliche expression comes to life in real life.

If you eat a heavy meal, and then...a big burly dude threatened you with a knife, causing your flight or fight instinct to cause you to barf all over the place before fleeing the scene then you could say "I both literally and figuratively lost my lunch".

truly

honestly

I see no need to drop saying literally, if I mean "literally". People are so prone to exaggeration these days that most people think others are embellishing when they give factual information. If I said "I was so tired I collapsed", most people might default to think I'm exaggerating so I would add "literally" to state otherwise. I've been known to collapse, literally, so I don't mince my words.

Do I literally mean literally, or just figuratively?

Ta for the replies folks.

quite literally nobody understands anyone

To replace "literally" being used the right way, I'd say "actually." Followed by "and I mean actually" if they look doubtful.

To replace "literally" being used the wrong way, I'd use "practically." IIRC, that's the word that was used for this kind of hyperbole before "literally" took over.