hyperbole
Americannoun
-
obvious and intentional exaggeration.
-
an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
- Synonyms:
- overstatement
- Antonyms:
- understatement
noun
Usage
What 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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hyperbole
First recorded in 1520–30; from Greek hyperbolḗ “excess, exaggeration, a throwing beyond,” equivalent to hyper- hyper- + bolḗ “a throw”
Explanation
Praising your favorite sports team is one thing, but if you call the team the most incredible group of humans ever to walk the earth, then you're going overboard and indulging in hyperbole. The hyper- in hyperbole means "beyond," so it's a good sign that the word has to do with going above and beyond what's necessary. Someone who gets hyperactive about something and ends up hyperventilating (breathing too hard) might be prone to the exaggerated style of speaking known as hyperbole. If you find yourself talking about the absolutely best (or worst) thing of all time, it's time to take it down a notch and cut down on the hyperbole.
Vocabulary lists containing hyperbole
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Notwithstanding Bill Plaschke’s tendency for hyperbole, his article on Caitlin Clark was a three-point swish from half-court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
Not long ago, the word trillionaire only appeared in The Wall Street Journal as hyperbole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
That hyperbole is similar to how Silicon Valley’s techno-optimists talk about their industry.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
It isn’t hyperbole to suggest that the SpaceX initial public offering is one of the most eagerly awaited stock market debuts in history.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
After Colonel Meecham had conducted the inspections of the other rooms, Mary Anne walked into Ben’s room holding her stomach with melodramatic hyperbole.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
The fact remains that the Babe’s exploits, on and off the field, were sufficient to herniate the strongest hyperboles.
From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2021
Our efforts to be informed were dominated by attention to the biggest headlines reporting the latest hyperboles and gutter developments, with little attention to the discussion of issues, positions or facts.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 17, 2017
Still, there was a lingering sense that the efforts were too little, too late, as their countrymen and -women carried on with the characteristic superlatives, hyperboles and extermination-related coinages.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 17, 2017
Maybe the surprise is increased by a bad choice of hyperboles in the first place.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 14, 2012
In Love’s Labour’s Lost, Shakespeare has Berowne complain, “Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise, / Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation, / Figures pedantical; these summer flies / Have blown me full of maggot ostentation.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
