exaggerated

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​ag·​ger·​at·​ed ig-ˈza-jə-ˌrā-təd 

1

: excessively or inappropriately heightened, inflated, or overstated

exaggerated fears

a wildly exaggerated story

As students go from one disconnected course to the next, they tend to form a highly exaggerated idea of the differences between teachers and subjects.

—Gerald Graff

2

: enlarged or increased beyond the normal : greater than normal

… many people have an unusual or exaggerated response to a drug, but they are not necessarily allergic to the drug.

—Paul D. Buisseret

exaggeratedly adverb

… my own view of the art of architecture—a view that many people (including many architects) would perhaps consider an exaggeratedly lofty one.

—Brendan Gill

Koenig's movements were brisk, exaggeratedly optimistic.

—Nick Paumgarten

exaggeratedness noun

… we often do not respond to exaggeration by simply pointing out its exaggeratedness …

—Julie Kuhlken

exaggerated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of exaggerate

Synonyms of exaggerated

Adjective

• inflated

Examples of exaggerated in a Sentence

Adjective

loves the exaggerated emotions that are part and parcel of grand opera

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The image for the $25 product, which has been removed from Target’s website, depicted a Black child in an orange and black outfit with a ruffled collar, black gloves and a face covering mimicking an exaggerated, wide smile. — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026

The contests appear to be designed for virality, with young competitors often demonstrating exaggerated versions of popular TikTok dance moves for the audience. — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

The design featured an orange-and-black clown outfit, black gloves and a dark face covering with an exaggerated smiling mouth. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026

Weber’s team set out doing 3D renderings of the puppet versions of the Enterprise crew, with each puppet taking on exaggerated features of their real-life counterparts. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of exaggerate

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for exaggerated

• abbreviated
• accelerated
• accentuated
• accommodated
• acculturated
• accumulated
• acidulated
• adjudicated
• administrated
• adulterated
• affiliated
• agglomerated