exaggeration
noun
ex·ag·ger·a·tion
ig-ˌza-jə-ˈrā-shən 
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
Tony SwanScads of fibs, exaggerations and misleading statements have been swept up in the dragnet …—James Poniewozik
James PoniewozikSynonyms
Examples of exaggeration in a Sentence
their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
One very dangerous side effect of all this has been that hearing exaggerations about the relatively few problems with COVID vaccines also spurred fears of other vaccines.
—Thomas D. Elias, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
That's not an exaggeration: Ten probes that have made it to the Venusian surface; none of them have lasted more than two hours.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 8 May 2024
As for Emanuel’s May 5 comment that Ellison has great relationships with everyone in town, that seems to be an exaggeration.
—Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
Because literal-minded people don’t understand metaphor, irony or comic exaggeration.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 May 2024
What’s the difference between an exaggeration and a lie in these sentences?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
While the increasingly drastic tone may be seen by some as an attempt to pressure Washington, a member of Ukraine’s parliament said the warnings are not an exaggeration.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
There’s some debate about exaggeration or lying in comedy.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Israel has said reports of hunger in Gaza are exaggerations.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Thomas D. Elias, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
That's not an exaggeration: Ten probes that have made it to the Venusian surface; none of them have lasted more than two hours.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 8 May 2024
As for Emanuel’s May 5 comment that Ellison has great relationships with everyone in town, that seems to be an exaggeration.
—Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
Because literal-minded people don’t understand metaphor, irony or comic exaggeration.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 May 2024
What’s the difference between an exaggeration and a lie in these sentences?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
While the increasingly drastic tone may be seen by some as an attempt to pressure Washington, a member of Ukraine’s parliament said the warnings are not an exaggeration.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
There’s some debate about exaggeration or lying in comedy.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Israel has said reports of hunger in Gaza are exaggerations.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near exaggeration
Cite this Entry
“Exaggeration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share