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

If the jokes seem a bit more exaggerated this time and their bond much less complex, the palpable affection coursing between Kidman and Bullock remains as sturdy a foundation as ever. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

New York City in the seventies and early eighties, the crucial backdrop for hip-hop’s rise, was a Technicolor place of exaggerated ironies. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Andrew Tate, however, testified last week that much of the image was exaggerated entertainment and marketing. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Designers have been adding some edge and modernity to the style by designing pumps with an exaggerated pointed toe and lower-cut vamps that reveal more of the foot. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 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