exaggeration

[ ig-zaj-uh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of exaggerating or overstating.
2. an instance of exaggerating; an overstatement:

   His statement concerning the size of his income is a gross exaggeration.

Other Words From

• nonex·agger·ation noun
• over·ex·agger·ation noun
• self-ex·agger·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of exaggeration¹

1555–65; < Latin exaggerātiōn- (stem of exaggerātiō ), equivalent to exaggerāt ( us ) ( exaggerate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

That’s a gross exaggeration, as gasoline, battery and hydrogen vehicles all are subject to fire and explosion, albeit in different ways.

From Los Angeles Times

“Short n’ Sweet” is brimming with hooks and jokes and vocal exaggerations; this show, the first of three sold-out dates in Los Angeles to wrap Carpenter’s North American tour, left virtually no surface un-bedazzled.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of Trump’s newly revealed appointments suggest that the president-elect’s campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the US is no exaggeration.

From BBC

It might sound like an exaggeration, but it's not: Salon has been covering the news and stakes of this election since 2021.

From Salon

On the day of what is without exaggeration being called the most consequential election of our time, ignoring political news in favor of watching an antique cheese slicer being restored may seem frivolous.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• baloney
• excess
• fabrication
• falsehood
• fantasy
• hyperbole
• misjudgment
• misrepresentation
• untruth