exaggerate
verb
ex·ag·ger·ate
ig-ˈza-jə-ˌrāt 
exaggerated; exaggerating
1
: to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth : overstate
a friend exaggerates a man's virtues—
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison2
: to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal : overemphasize
: to make an overstatement
Examples of exaggerate in a Sentence
The book exaggerates the difficulties he faced in starting his career.
It's impossible to exaggerate the importance of this discovery.
He tends to exaggerate when talking about his accomplishments.
He exaggerated his movements so we could see them more clearly.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Figure below breaks down the source of gross imports; the decline in oil from OPEC is pronounced, while the rise of Canadian oil imports, due to higher oil sands production, exaggerates the security of our supply, albeit only slightly.
—Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Faced with a middling public response to the ICE raids and subsequent protests, Trump continued to use extreme language to exaggerate the magnitude of the public safety threat and to take credit for the reduction in hostilities as the week progressed.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
In part, that’s because Stahelski played a pivotal role in shaping the film’s action sequences on set, even if rumors about the extent of his reshoots — and the deficiencies that supposedly demanded them — have been exaggerated.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
Long shorts Summer’s trendiest shorts silhouette is the Bermuda: long, baggy, and just exaggerated enough to make a major impression.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for exaggerate
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Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Faced with a middling public response to the ICE raids and subsequent protests, Trump continued to use extreme language to exaggerate the magnitude of the public safety threat and to take credit for the reduction in hostilities as the week progressed.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
In part, that’s because Stahelski played a pivotal role in shaping the film’s action sequences on set, even if rumors about the extent of his reshoots — and the deficiencies that supposedly demanded them — have been exaggerated.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
Long shorts Summer’s trendiest shorts silhouette is the Bermuda: long, baggy, and just exaggerated enough to make a major impression.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for exaggerate
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggerate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exaggerate
verb
ex·ag·ger·ate
ig-ˈzaj-ə-ˌrāt
exaggerated; exaggerating
: to enlarge a fact or statement beyond what is actual or true
exaggeratedly
adverb
-ˌrāt-əd-lē
exaggeratedness
noun
-nəs
Etymology
from Latin exaggeratus "exaggerate," from exaggerare, literally, "to heap up"
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