- past tense form of exaggerate.
- past participle of exaggerate.
exaggerated
Americanadjective
-
unduly or unrealistically magnified.
to have an exaggerated opinion of oneself.
-
abnormally increased or enlarged.
adjective
-
unduly or excessively magnified; enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
-
pathol abnormally enlarged
an exaggerated spleen
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exaggerated
First recorded in 1545–55; exaggerate + -ed 2
Explanation
Exaggerated describes something that's been overstated, or described as more impressive than it really is. Your exaggerated details stretched the truth, but they sure made your story funny and memorable. Something that is exaggerated is described as better or bigger than it actually is, like your exaggerated description of the terrible day you had. Exaggerated can also describe something that is oversized, like the exaggerated collar on a funky sweater. The original meaning of exaggerated, in the early 1500s, was "piled up or accumulated." To spell exaggerate correctly, think of bragger.
Vocabulary lists containing exaggerated
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Fine?" Vocabulary from the short story
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The Pigman
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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.
Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has made the case for several weeks that the risk premium in the oil price was exaggerated, especially since shipments through Hormuz have normalized.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Colombian deputy environment minister David Olarte Amaya, who is attending the summit, said the concerns about his country were exaggerated.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Meanwhile, the ABI's figures found that exaggerated loss remains the most common type of insurance fraud, with 26,900 cases identified.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Muñoz admits he exaggerated his skill set to get his foot in the door, but he was determined to make the opportunity count.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
“I usher souls toward their destiny, not away from it,” Clare said, using exaggerated gestures.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
