WordValehyperbole
exaggeration for effect
deliberate exaggeration for effect
In more detail
1. (noun) a way of speaking or writing that makes something seem much more extreme, important, or serious than it really is, used for effect or humor
2. (noun) an example of such exaggerated language
Examples
- 1. When she said she had a million things to do, that was just hyperbole—she actually had about five tasks.
- 2. Saying "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" is a common hyperbole.
How to use hyperbole
Hyperbole is a rhetorical device used intentionally to create emphasis, humor, or emotional effect by presenting something as far more extreme than reality. It appears frequently in everyday speech, literature, and advertising. Unlike simple lying, hyperbole is understood by the audience as exaggeration rather than factual claim.
Common phrases
- pure hyperbole
- obvious hyperbole
- bit of hyperbole
- resort to hyperbole
- hyperbolic language
Synonyms
exaggeration · overstatement · embellishment · magnification · inflection
Opposites
understatement · meiosis · litotes
Word family
hyperbolic · hyperbolically · hyperbolize
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse hyperbole with metaphor; hyperbole is specifically exaggeration of degree or scale, while metaphor is a comparison between unlike things.
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