Literally Now Literally Means Figuratively

This is literally the stupidest thing I've heard...in the last hour or so.

So literally is now an auto-antonym! Huzzah!

Google is only repeating what the source dictionaries already have said since at least the beginning of the year. English dictionaries tend to be more descriptive than prescriptive, with usually some lag. Although in this case they have footnotes warning that the second usage is considered by many to be incorrect.

I'm waiting for the definition of "decimate" to tighten up in common usage.

This is no different than the french "terrible" which now means "awesome". Plus, you are all 50 years too late for this debate. The American language unofficially changed from prescriptive to descriptive in 1961 with the publication of Merriam-Webster's 2nd International Dictionary.

You mean like "gay"?

Actually it's not nearly as funny as you think. One of the definitions of "literally" has been "virtually" in a metaphoric, hyperbole, etc., context. This use was used by writers like Dryden and Pope, to indicate "what follows must be taken in the strongest admissible sense" in the 1600s. Yes, this is opposite to the word's original meaning coming from the 1500s, but considering it's been in use in this fashion from BEFORE the 20th century it isn't so far a stretch as to accept it as a proper use.