3 ms·

Eternal shame on merriam-webster.

• maxerickson 9y ago
  A dictionary that fails to document usage is a lot worse than one that documents usage you don't like.
  • repsilat 9y ago
    A good dictionary will also document widespread distaste for particular usages, though. It's a losing battle with any intensifier -- we've already lost "really" and "very" to this problem, and "literally" will pass too. That doesn't mean it's not worth trying to extend its life a little longer, though. ("Objectively" is also being used as an intensifier in casual conversation, though I think always with a touch of irony... Good fun.)
    • maxerickson 9y ago
      Did they add this bit today? Should literally be used for emphasis? Sense 2 is common and not at all new but has been frequently criticized as an illogical misuse. It is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary.