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hyperbole

/haɪˈpərbəli/

/haɪˈpəbəli/

Other forms: hyperboles

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.

Definitions of hyperbole
  1. noun
    extravagant exaggeration
    synonyms: exaggeration
    see moresee less
    type of:
    figure, figure of speech, image, trope
    language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
Pronunciation
US

/haɪˈpərbəli/

UK

/haɪˈpəbəli/

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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘hyperbole'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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