v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates. v.tr.
- To represent as greater than is actually the case; overstate: exaggerate the size of the enemy force; exaggerated his own role in the episode.
- To enlarge or increase to an abnormal degree: thick lenses that exaggerated the size of her eyes.
To make overstatements.
[Latin exaggerāre, exaggerāt-, to heap up, magnify : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + aggerāre, to pile up (from agger, pile , from aggerere, to bring to : ad-, ad- + gerere, to bring).]
exaggeratedly ex·ag'ger·at'ed·ly adv.exaggeration ex·ag'ger·a'tion n.
exaggerative ex·ag'ger·a'tive or ex·ag'ger·a·to'ry (-ə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) adj.
exaggerator ex·ag'ger·a'tor n.
SYNONYMS exaggerate, inflate, magnify, overstate. These verbs mean to represent something as being larger or greater than it actually is: exaggerated the size of the fish I caught; inflated his own importance; magnifying her part in their success; overstated his income on the loan application.
ANTONYM minimize
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
