exaggeration

noun

ex·​ag·​ger·​a·​tion ig-ˌza-jə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exaggeration (audio)
plural exaggerations
Synonyms of exaggerationnext
: 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

Examples of exaggeration in a Sentence

their exaggeration was such that a rainstorm became a hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem. Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement. Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026 In the latter category was presenter Jimmy Kimmel, who, in an act of exaggeration that would be Swiftian if intentional, equated the free speech policies of North Korea with those of, um, CBS. Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026 Free of the trappings and exaggerations of the 1980s, fashion had turned to celebrating clothes in their simplest, purest form, with invisible seams and clean lines, devoid of embellishments and in a strictly neutral, pattern-free palette. Valentina Bottoni, Vanity Fair, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exaggeration

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exaggeration was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Exaggeration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggeration. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

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