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

• bloated
• hyperbolized
• inflated
• outsize
• outsized
• overblown
• overdrawn
• overweening

Examples of exaggerated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Entertainment & Arts Reports of his films’ death are exaggerated: Woody Allen ‘has no intention of retiring’ Sept. 19, 2022 During Allen’s stay in Venice, Spanish publication El Mundo asked him about the controversy in Spain. —Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023

That fruitful relationship is evident in their ability to expertly play off of each other and bring their exaggerated and socially inept characters to life. —Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2023

Now the Health and Human Services Department is quietly conceding the insurance scare was exaggerated. —The Editorial Board, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2023

Coles, a carry-over from the 2021 London production, which won the 2022 Olivier award for best new musical, essentially duplicates and then vastly exaggerates Crispin Glover’s already exaggerated George. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023

Case in point: this eye-catching update of Nike’s celebrated Air Max, festooned with exaggerated stitching, taped seams, and bright orange detailing. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023

Read full article That extreme quality to his matches made Mr. Funk among the most celebrated wrestlers of his generation in a sport built on performer-athletes playing exaggerated or downright invented versions of themselves. —Eduardo Medina, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023

The monastery business begs to be taken seriously, and yet, the project’s kitschy color palette and slapstick acting style suggest a live-action Saturday morning cartoon, complete with silly sound effects (from exaggerated eye blinks to tweety-bird knockout noises). —Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023

The reports of a match made in heaven proved greatly exaggerated. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2023

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Word History

Etymology

from past participle of exaggerate

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1