exaggeration

noun

ex·​ag·​ger·​a·​tion ig-ˌza-jə-ˈrā-shən 

plural exaggerations

: an act or instance of exaggerating something : overstatement of the truth

She told us what happened without exaggeration.

: a statement that exaggerates something

a report filled with exaggerations and outright lies

But it's no exaggeration to say that this car has been one of the major linchpins of the burgeoning Asian hot-rod phenomenon.

—Tony Swan

Scads of fibs, exaggerations and misleading statements have been swept up in the dragnet …

—James Poniewozik

Synonyms of exaggeration

• caricature
• hyperbole
• stretching
• enhancement
• overstatement
• coloring

Examples of exaggeration in a Sentence

their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s an exaggeration of the truth considering Green Bay has selected eight quarterbacks in Sullivan’s 22 seasons with the Packers, and that just so happens to be the same amount the Dolphins drafted during the same timespan. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Who knew what other wild exaggerations Wise had chosen to believe? —Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026

That may be somewhat an exaggeration, at least for audience members who recognize Thornton Wilder’s many references to ancient literature and history. —Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

During a Rolling Stone interview in November, Thornton described the report as an exaggeration. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for exaggeration

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration