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

The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

Along the sides of the exaggerated wedge, clusters of small metallic studs formed star motifs. —Tara Larson, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025

Experts say the new and exaggerated show of force, which included low-altitude fighter jet passes over major cities and live-fire drills off the coast, is meant to attract fresh attention to its military capabilities. —Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025

Of course, Clara is a foil — an exaggerated archetype representing the modern human. —Big Think, 26 Nov. 2025

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