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Showing results for hyperbolic. Search instead for nonhyperbolic.
Synonyms

hyperbolic

American  
[hahy-per-bol-ik] / ˌhaɪ pərˈbɒl ɪk /
Also hyperbolical

adjective

  1. having the nature of hyperbole; exaggerated.

  2. using hyperbole; exaggerating.

  3. Mathematics.

    1. of or relating to a hyperbola.

    2. derived from a hyperbola, as a hyperbolic function.


hyperbolic British  
/ ˌhaɪpəˈbɒlɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a hyperbola

  2. rhetoric of or relating to a hyperbole

"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

Other Word Forms

  • hyperbolically adverb
  • nonhyperbolic adjective
  • nonhyperbolical adjective
  • nonhyperbolically adverb
  • semihyperbolic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyperbolic

1640–50; hyperbole or hyperbol(a) + -ic

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.

Critics say the marketing—including claims that 20 minutes equals four hours in the gym—is hyperbolic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Admittedly, heaping this much flattery onto a tawdry piece of airport fiction adapted into a Sydney Sweeney-starring, big-screen sensation may seem hyperbolic.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

It also applies to hyperbolic geometries, which are commonly used in theoretical physics and modern models of spacetime.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

Government scientists found Schuchard’s prose hyperbolic, but the public ate it up.

From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025

Understanding why he entertained such hyperbolic thoughts is the key to the core meaning of the duel.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis