Word meaning
hyperbole
noun · hy-PUR-buh-lee
What does hyperbole mean?
Hyperbole means deliberate exaggeration not meant to be taken literally.
Hyperbole in a sentence
“"I've told you a million times" is hyperbole.”
Synonyms for hyperbole
- exaggeration
- overstatement
- embellishment
Where does hyperbole come from?
From Greek hyperbolē, "a throwing beyond."
How to remember hyperbole
- Say it out loud a few times: hy-PUR-buh-lee.
- Write one sentence of your own using hyperbole, about something that happened to you today.
- Quiz yourself tomorrow, in three days, and next week. Spaced reviews are what make new words stick.
More words worth knowing
- brouhaha — a noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something.
- moribund — at the point of death; in terminal decline.
- jubilant — feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
- oblique — not explicit or done directly; also, slanting.
- nebulous — unclear, vague, or ill-defined.
- vacillate — to waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive.