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
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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Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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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.
Hyperbole is inappropriate in response to a flurry of gambling scandals that merely highlight the predictable vulnerability of certain “prop” bets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Hyperbole aside, the language taken as a whole marks a distinct verbal escalation from Tehran.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2022
Hyperbole is one of the staples of advertising language.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
Hyperbole shrouds few topics in history so much as the human encounter with outer space.
From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2021
Hyperbole is usually harmless, but in some cases it has been known to precipitate unnecessary wars as well as a painful gaseous condition called stock market bubbles.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
