literalize

American  

[lit-er-uh-lahyz] / ˈlɪt ər əˌlaɪz /

especially British, literalise

verb (used with object)

literalized, literalizing

1. to make literal; interpret literally.

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Other Word Forms

• literalization noun
• literalizer noun
• unliteralized adjective

Etymology

Origin of literalize

First recorded in 1820–30; literal + -ize

Example Sentences

The show goes so far as to literalize the sports metaphor of being in the zone by showing it as a heightened, almost supernatural, state of physical and mental acuity.

From New York Times

Earlier innovations had literalized the experience of “seeing the light,” but no one went around talking about torchlight moments or sketching candles into cartoon thought bubbles.

From The New Yorker

But they also literalize the artist’s mission to situate herself within a complex political history.

From The New Yorker

In moments on “Pt. 2,” that sentiment is literalized.

From New York Times

Movies and television have a way of using a soundtrack not just to create a mood but to literalize it.

From New York Times