verb
- to interpret or represent something in a strictly literal way, without metaphor or symbolism
Examples
- The artist chose to literalize the poem’s imagery in her painting.
- Critics argued that the film adaptation literalized the novel’s subtle metaphors.
- Don’t literalize every expression in the text; some are meant figuratively.
- The director’s tendency to literalize abstract concepts made the play less compelling.
- Students often literalize biblical parables instead of understanding their deeper meaning.
- The translation literalized idioms that should have been adapted culturally.