figuratively (adverb)

1. In the Harry Potter series, when Harry says 'I feel like I've been hit by a ton of bricks' after a difficult exam, he is using the phrase figuratively.

2. In Greek mythology, when Zeus is referred to as 'the father of gods and men', it is speaking figuratively to convey his authority and importance.

3. In the Looney Tunes cartoons, when Wile E. Coyote holds up a sign that says 'Yikes!' just before he falls off a cliff, it is meant to be taken figuratively to express his fear.

4. In the novel '1984' by George Orwell, when the phrase 'Big Brother is watching you' is used, it is meant figuratively to represent the omnipresent surveillance and control in the dystopian society.