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View synonyms for

hyperbole

[hahy-pur-buh-lee]

noun

Rhetoric.
  1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.

  2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

    Synonyms:
    Antonyms:


hyperbole

/ ɪˈɜːəɪ /

noun

  1. a deliberate exaggeration used for effect

    he embraced her a thousand times

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hyperbole

  1. An exaggerated, extravagant expression. It is hyperbole to say, “I'd give my whole fortune for a bowl of bean soup.”

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Other Word Forms

  • ˈDZ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hyperbole1

First recorded in 1520–30; from Greek DZḗ “excess, exaggeration, a throwing beyond,” equivalent to hyper- hyper- + DZḗ “a throw”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hyperbole1

C16: from Greek: from hyper- + DZŧ a throw, from ballein to throw
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I am not prone to hyperbole. I am prone to, like, popping off a little bit. I know that,” Walz said, prefacing his argument that Americans are living in a “dangerous” time.

From

Many alarm-sounders were ignored, marginalized, mocked, attacked and told they were exaggerating and engaging in hyperbole by the gatekeepers in the news media and political class.

From

He says he used hyperbole to make a point that people are being programmed to see through a racial lens.

From

I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Kohli has done more to maintain the primacy of Test cricket than any other player in the modern era.

From

But some others among the Prime Minister's political opponents accuse him of over claiming - adopting the bombast and hyperbole of President Trump in how he has decided to describe this deal.

From

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When To Use

is hyperbole?

Hyperbole is an intentional, obvious exaggeration, such as I hit that dang piñata a million times before it broke.Hyperbole is not supposed to be taken literally. The reader or listener is supposed to know that the user of hyperbole is joking or not being serious, as in It took them forever to finally finish raking the leaves.The adjective form of hyperbole is hyperbolic, as in My grandfather often told me hyperbolic stories of walking 30 miles to go to school. The opposite of hyperbole is litotes, an intentional understatement, as in Leonardo da Vinci was not bad at painting.

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