metaphorically

American  

[met-uh-fawr-ik-lee, -for-] / ˌmɛt əˈfɔr ɪk li, -ˈfɒr- /

adverb

1. in a way that constitutes a metaphor, a figure of speech that refers to one thing in terms of another, suggesting a resemblance between the two.

   The native Romani word “drakhalin,” whose literal meaning is “grapevine,” is often used metaphorically to mean the internet.

2. figuratively speaking; not literally.

   We are metaphorically on top of the world over his success and look forward to his return.

3. as a symbol or emblem representing something else.

   In various biblical contexts, salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, value, and purification.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmetaphorically adverb
• semimetaphorically adverb
• submetaphorically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metaphorically

metaphorical ( def. ) + -ly

Compare meaning

How does metaphorically compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• metaphorically vs. figuratively

Example Sentences

Ha: It was really hot on the set — literally, metaphorically.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

The tendrils of the tightly strung material connect, both physically and metaphorically, the wartime experiences documented in the photocopied pages scattered about, but they also bring to mind out-of-control cell growth and cancerous disease.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

She sings that starring in 2:22 led to a distance developing between the couple, both literally and metaphorically, which resulted in Harbour suggesting an open relationship.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

Not metaphorically, but literally: sesame-seeded dough stuffed with ground brisket, shredded lettuce, American cheese, onions and “max” sauce.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025

To talk about those regularities that appear in the natural world as ‘laws’ is to speak metaphorically: this was as obvious in the first century and the seventeenth as it is now.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton