exaggerate

(ĭg-zăj'ə-rāt')

v., -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.

v.tr.

1. To represent as greater than is actually the case; overstate: exaggerate the size of the enemy force; exaggerated his own role in the episode.
2. To enlarge or increase to an abnormal degree: thick lenses that exaggerated the size of her eyes.

v.intr.
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

View more Literature & Language videos

verb

To make (something) seem greater than is actually the case: hyperbolize, inflate, magnify, overcharge, overstate. Idioms: blow up out of proportion, lay it on thick, stretch the truth. See increase/decrease.

v

Definition: overstate, embellish
Antonyms: depreciate, minimize, play down, reduce, understate

IN BRIEF: To make seem larger or greater than it really is.

Never exaggerate your faults. Your friends will attend to that. — Robert C. Edwards.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: Both fists begin together, one makes a waving motion out away from the stationary hand.

---

For a list of words related to exaggerate, see:

• Modes and Manners of Expression - exaggerate: overstate; make unfounded claims; speak of something as greater than it is

---

See words rhyming with "exaggerate."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Exaggerate.

Common misspelling(s) of exaggerate

• exagerrate
• exagerate

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - overdrive, understrege
v. intr. - overdrive

Nederlands (Dutch)
overdrijven, opschroeven

Français (French)
v. tr. - exagérer, amplifier (une histoire), s'exagérer, accentuer, outrer, forcer (un effet)
v. intr. - exagérer, forcer la note

Deutsch (German)
v. - übertreiben

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - υπερβάλλω, (τα) μεγαλοποιώ, (παρα)φουσκώνω

Italiano (Italian)
esagerare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - exagerar

Русский (Russian)
преувеличивать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - exagerar, inflar, ponderar
v. intr. - exagerar, inflar, ponderar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - överdriva, framhäva, förstärka

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
夸张, 夸大, 使增大, 使扩大, 对...言过其实, 使过大, 夸大其词

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 誇張, 誇大, 使增大, 使擴大, 對...言過其實, 使過大
v. intr. - 誇張, 誇大其詞

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 허풍치다, 악화시키다
v. intr. - 과장하여 말하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 大げさに言う, 誇張する, 悪化させる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يبالغ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הגזים‬
v. intr. - ‮נהג בהפרזה‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.