When you use a word figuratively, you're using it in a creative, non-literal way to make your meaning more vivid or interesting. If you say “I'm so hungry I could eat a horse,” you don't actually mean you want to consume an entire horse. You're using eat a horse figuratively to express how extremely hungry you feel.

Figurative language helps us paint pictures with words. When someone says their teacher's eyes were blazing with anger, those eyes weren't literally on fire. When you say you have a mountain of homework, you don't mean an actual geological formation on your desk. These figurative expressions communicate feelings and ideas more powerfully than plain statements would.

The opposite of figuratively is literally, which means exactly what the words say. If you literally ran five miles, your feet actually covered that distance. If you figuratively ran five miles, you might mean you felt exhausted after a long day at school.

People sometimes confuse these words, saying “I literally died laughing” when they mean figuratively (since they're still alive to tell the story). Understanding the difference helps you communicate more precisely and catch the colorful meanings in what you read. Writers use figurative language constantly: metaphors, similes, and expressions that make writing come alive rather than just stating facts.