exaggeration

noun

ex·​ag·​ger·​a·​tion ig-ˌza-jə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exaggeration (audio)
plural exaggerations
: an act or instance of exaggerating something : overstatement of the truth
She told us what happened without exaggeration.
: a statement that exaggerates something
a report filled with exaggerations and outright lies
But it's no exaggeration to say that this car has been one of the major linchpins of the burgeoning Asian hot-rod phenomenon.Tony Swan
Scads of fibs, exaggerations and misleading statements have been swept up in the dragnet …James Poniewozik

Examples of exaggeration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two hours is an exaggeration, of course, though not by much. Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 The exaggeration of everything, from the saturation of color to the entwinement of the lovers’ bodies, always so entangled, depicting passion and female sensuality and abandon to a ridiculous degree. Kim Gordon, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 But this crisis has been exacerbated by political rhetoric and exaggeration. Rafael Perez, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Despite having access to so much data, why are there so many examples of misinformation, hyperbole, exaggeration, and misleading messaging? Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 This must include guardrails to ensure founders don’t cross the line between high confidence and self-belief, which are key to building true industry leaders, and exaggeration–or even fraud. Raphaelle D’ornano, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 Everything about Messi is a cartoonish exaggeration of reaction. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2024 Advance Democracy saw a significant increase in posts that dismiss climate change as an exaggeration or a hoax on Facebook. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 And according to a survey reported in Good News Network, that's not an exaggeration. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exaggeration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exaggeration was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near exaggeration

Cite this Entry

“Exaggeration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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