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The literal meaning of a word or phrase is what it actually says, while the figurative meaning is a deeper or different interpretation.

**Example:**

- **Literal Meaning:** "It's raining cats and dogs" means that it is raining heavily.
- **Figurative Meaning:** The phrase suggests a chaotic situation, not that actual animals are falling from the sky.

So, the literal meaning is straightforward, while the figurative meaning is more imaginative.

Literal vs. Figurative Meanings

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Question: What is the difference between the literal and figurative meaning of a word or a phrase? Explain by giving an example of both. answer this in simple terms

Asked by lamis

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Sure! The literal meaning of a word or phrase is the exact, straightforward meaning, without any exaggeration or metaphor. The figurative meaning, on the other hand, is more imaginative and uses figures of speech like metaphors or similes to convey something beyond the literal words. **Example of Literal Meaning:** - "It's raining cats and dogs." - Literal meaning: If we take this literally, it means cats and dogs are falling from the sky, which is impossible and doesn't make sense. **Example of Figurative Meaning:** - "It's raining cats and dogs." - Figurative meaning: This is a common expression that means it's raining very heavily. No actual animals are involved. So, the literal meaning is the straightforward, actual meaning, whereas the figurative meaning is more creative and imaginative, used to express something in a more vivid or impactful way.

Answered by gpt-4o

April 22, 2025, 9:35 a.m.

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This article was generated in part by one of OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model, answering user lamis's question. Images were generated with OpenAI's AI model, DALL·E 3. The Internet takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.
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Published: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

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