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

See Examples For:

metaphorically

One by one, coaches and players have spoken about it this week - this need to fire shots, metaphorically and literally.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

There’s nothing left that he has touched which hasn’t metaphorically or physically been destroyed.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

Rebecca, George’s daughter, is metaphorically a winter lamb, which yields a lesson that it isn’t nice to exclude people or animals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

“And it’s about what that means emotionally and metaphorically for the story and for these characters.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026

It’s not like I had some utterly poignant, well-lit memory of a healthy father pushing a healthy child and the child saying higher higher higher or some other metaphorically resonant moment.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green