exaggerate

1 to add to the interest of by including made-up details <the American colonist John Smith is believed by many historians to have exaggerated his adventures> Synonyms color, elaborate (on), embellish, embroider, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretchRelated Words dress up, gussy up; amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out); fudge, hedge; overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate; emphasize, play up, stress; caricature; satirizeNear Antonyms belittle, minimize, play down, understate

2 to describe or express in too strong terms <it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of this entrance exam> Synonyms overstate, overdo, overdraw, put onRelated Words color, elaborate, embellish, embroider, magnify, pad, play up, stretch; fudge, hedge; melodramatize, overemphasize, overplay, sensationalizeNear Antonyms belittle, minimize, play downAntonyms understate