Exaggerating: meaning, definitions and examples

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exaggerating

 

[ ɪɡˈzædʒ.ə.reɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

overstatement

Exaggerating refers to the act of describing something in a way that makes it seem more extreme or significant than it actually is. This can involve overstating a fact, embellishing a story, or intensifying an experience. It's commonly used in everyday speech to engage listeners, but it can also lead to misunderstandings. While exaggeration can serve a humorous or dramatic purpose, it may undermine credibility if used excessively.

Synonyms

embellish, hyperbolize, inflate, magnify, overstate

Examples of usage

  • He tends to exaggerate his achievements.
  • It's hard to tell when she's joking or just exaggerating.
  • The story was amusing, but it felt like he was exaggerating the events.

Translations

Translations of the word "exaggerating" in other languages:

🇵🇹 exagerando

🇮🇳 बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर बताना

🇩🇪 übertreibend

🇮🇩 melebih-lebihkan

🇺🇦 перебільшення

🇵🇱 przesadzając

🇯🇵 誇張している

🇫🇷 exagérant

🇪🇸 exagerando

🇹🇷 abartarak

🇰🇷 과장해서

🇸🇦 مبالغة

🇨🇿 přehánějící

🇸🇰 prehnané

🇨🇳 夸张

🇸🇮 pretiravajoč

🇮🇸 yfirdramatískt

🇰🇿 асырту

🇬🇪 გადაჭარბება

🇦🇿 şişirtmə

🇲🇽 exagerando

Etymology

The word 'exaggerate' originates from the Latin 'exaggerare', which means 'to heap up', 'to increase', or 'to elevate'. This Latin term is composed of 'ex-', meaning 'out' or 'forth', and 'aggerare', derived from 'agger', meaning 'a heap' or 'mound'. Initially, it conveyed the idea of enlarging or increasing something in a physical sense. Over time, its usage evolved into a figurative context, applying to the overstating of facts or embellishing narratives. The term gained prominence in English in the late 15th century and has since retained its core meaning, often appearing in discussions of literature, speech, and everyday conversation regarding the embellishing of truth.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,010, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.