exaggerated

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

Synonyms of exaggerated

• inflated

Examples of exaggerated in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the best looks of the night featured a dramatic silhouette, from Misty Copeland's exaggerated shoulders to the voluminous mermaid skirt on Rose Byrne's ballgown. —Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2026

For her nomination for The Substance, Demi Moore opted for a custom Giorgio Armani Privé gown with crystal embroidery, an exaggerated hip, and long train. —Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026

Lord and Miller are boisterous funnymen, with a flair for the exaggerated and the outlandish that feels born of their frequent work in animation. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Many find him over the top (much as people once found Nicholson in The Shining), and such an exaggerated and cartoonish turn would ordinarily be a problem in a film where the performances are otherwise in a realistic register. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of exaggerate

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for exaggerated

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