Definition of exaggerate
exaggerated
;exaggerating
transitive verb
1 : to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth : overstate a friend exaggerates a man's virtues — Joseph Addison
2 : to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal : overemphasize
intransitive verb
: to make an overstatement
exaggeratedly
adverbexaggeratedness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of exaggerate in a Sentence
The book exaggerates the difficulties he faced in starting his career.
It's impossible to exaggerate the importance of this discovery.
He tends to exaggerate when talking about his accomplishments.
He exaggerated his movements so we could see them more clearly.
Origin and Etymology of exaggerate
Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare, literally, to heap up, from ex- + agger heap, from aggerere to carry toward, from ad- + gerere to carry
First Known Use: 1613
EXAGGERATE Defined for English Language Learners
exaggerate
playDefinition of exaggerate for English Language Learners
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: to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is
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: to make (something) larger or greater than normal
EXAGGERATE Defined for Kids
exaggerate
playDefinition of exaggerate for Students
exaggerated
;exaggerating
: to describe as larger or greater than what is true She exaggerated her successes.
Learn More about exaggerate
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See words that rhyme with exaggerate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exaggerate Spanish Central: Translation of exaggerate Nglish: Translation of exaggerate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exaggerate for Arabic speakers
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