overliteralizing

Overliteralizing, also called overliteral interpretation, is the tendency to interpret language—especially figurative, idiomatic, or contextual expressions—literally rather than recognizing implied meaning, metaphor, or irony. It can lead to miscommunication when speakers intend humor, sarcasm, or expressive nuance. The term is used across linguistics and psychology to describe a pragmatic processing style where figurative content fails to be decoded as intended.

Causes and mechanisms: It arises from verbatim processing biases, limited pragmatic comprehension, or differences in language exposure. It can be more common in second-language learners, young children developing figurative language, or individuals with certain cognitive profiles. Context, prior knowledge, and social cues often modulate the degree of literal interpretation, as irony and metaphor rely on shared conventions.

Examples: misunderstanding idioms like “It's raining cats and dogs” as literal animals; or “break a leg” as a wish for harm; “I'll be there with bells on” interpreted as decoration. In literature or satire, overliteral reading can dampen humor or miss metaphorical depth. Implications: can hinder everyday communication, affect education, and influence judgments in media.

Mitigation: strategies include asking for clarification, explicitly signaling figurative language, teaching pragmatics and figurative language, and improving exposure to varied registers.

See also: literalism, figurative language, pragmatics, irony.