hyperbole

noun

hy·​per·​bo·​le hī-ˈpər-bə-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce hyperbole (audio)
: extravagant exaggeration (such as "mile-high ice-cream cones")
hyperbolist noun

Did you know?

In the 5th century B.C.E. there was a rabble-rousing Athenian politician named Hyperbolus. Since Hyperbolus is known to history as a demagogue, i.e. “a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power,” one might be tempted to assume that his name played a role in the development of the modern English word hyperbole, but that's not the case. Although that noun does come to us from Greek (by way of Latin), it does so instead from the Greek verb hyperballein, meaning “to exceed,” which itself was formed from hyper-, meaning “beyond,” and ballein, “to throw.” Hyperbolus may have preferred to take the undeserved credit, of course.

Did you know?

How is hyperbole pronounced—and why?

This word doesn't behave the way we expect a word that's spelled this way to behave. It begins with the prefix hyper-, which we know in words like hyperlink (and in the adjective hyper itself), but instead of having the accent, or emphasis, on the first syllable—HYE-per-link—it has the accent on the second syllable: hye-PER-buh-lee. And then there's that bole. It should sound just like the word bowl, right? Nope. Instead it's two syllables: \buh-lee\ .

The word comes to English directly from Latin, but the Latin word is from a Greek word that has one crucial visual difference. It has a line, called a macron, over the final e: hyperbolē. The macron tells us that the vowel is pronounced like \ee\ .

The fact that hyperbole is pronounced in a way counter to the usual workings of English pronunciation gives a hint as to the word's history in the language. Although these days you might encounter hyperbole in a magazine at the doctor's office, the word's first use was technical. It's from the field of rhetoric, which makes it at home with terms like metaphor, trope, and litotes. And speaking of litotes (pronounced \LYE-tuh-teez\ ), that term is an approximate antonym of hyperbole. It refers to understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negation of the contrary, as in "not a bad idea" or "not unpleasant."

Examples of hyperbole in a Sentence

Four decades later we're all blabbermouths, adrift on a sea of hyperbole, shouting to be heard. Steve Rushin, Sports Illustrated, 1 Apr. 2002
… balanced on the razor edge of anachronism, creating a rich stew of accepted and invented history, anecdote, myth and hyperbole. T. Coraghessan Boyle, New York Times Book Review, 18 May 1997
Even if we discount the hyperbole evident in such accounts, they were far from inventions. Lawrence W. Levine, The Unpredictable Past, 1993
“enough food to feed a whole army” is a common example of hyperbole
Recent Examples on the Web While that might sound like hyperbole for a product like cannabis, remember that many people use marijuana for medicine and dispensaries are supposed to replace medical marijuana collectives that previously served patients. Brad Branan and Nathaniel Levine, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 Another question: Can there be too much hyperbole when applied to this man? Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Though entrepreneurs can often overuse hyperbole and flowery language, this one isn’t an exaggeration. Jane Thier, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 In an intellectual discussion, the use of hyperbole should trigger suspicion in the mind of the reader. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 Unlike every other nonfiction subtitle, the hyperbole was justified. Steven Levy, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024 Become a Subscriber Sonia’s reproach is not the innocent hyperbole of a babushka. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2023 On Friday, the Facebook site remained ablaze with hyperbole about the Game and Fish Commission conspiring to destroy public duck hunting. Bryan Hendricks, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2023 The dispute centers on whether people are unhappy with the economy due to their material conditions, or whether factors beyond the economy itself — such as partisanship or hyperbole on social media — are the real forces driving voter frustration. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyperbole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek hyperbolē excess, hyperbole, hyperbola, from hyperballein to exceed, from hyper- + ballein to throw — more at devil

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hyperbole was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near hyperbole

Cite this Entry

“Hyperbole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hyperbole

noun
hy·​per·​bo·​le hī-ˈpər-bə-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce hyperbole (audio)
: extravagant exaggeration used to emphasize a point
"mile-high ice cream cones" is an example of hyperbole
hyperbolic
ˌhī-pər-ˈbäl-ik
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hyperbole

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