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

their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The comedic exaggeration is clear, but the bit is also a gesture to something deeper: Americans are skeptical about their government’s national security claims against China and open to seeing the country and its people through a different light. Mark Tseng-Putterman / Made By History, TIME, 10 Mar. 2025 This scale ranks objects from 0, meaning no impact, to 10, which is (ok, this is a slight exaggeration) nearly as bad as the destruction of Alderaan in Star Wars. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2025 The analogy is typically dismissed by MAGA voters as a hysterical exaggeration, while its usefulness in liberal or leftist critiques of Trump seems minimal. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2025 And while that is a slight exaggeration, the real situation isn’t too sunny either. Alix Martichoux, The Hill, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exaggeration

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exaggeration was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Exaggeration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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