hy·per·bol·ic
ˌhī-pər-ˈbä-lik 
variants
or less commonly hyperbolical
: of, relating to, or marked by language that exaggerates or overstates the truth : of, relating to, or marked by hyperbole
hyperbolic claims
1
geometry
: of, relating to, or being like a curve that is formed by the intersection of a double right circular cone with a plane that cuts both halves of the cone : of, relating to, or being analogous to a hyperbola
2
: of, relating to, or being a space in which more than one line parallel to a given line passes through a point
hyperbolic geometry
Examples of hyperbolic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
The comments received immediate pushback, both from critics who have long challenged Trump's habit of attacking others with hyperbolic insults and from historians who said his latest remarks had an unsettling resemblance to those of infamous authoritarians.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2023
On the surface, a statement such as this might sound hyperbolic, even New Agey in its triteness.
—Seth Combs, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
The ask, a revised version of a previous revenue-sharing proposal that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had rejected, prompted hyperbolic remarks on both sides.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Oct. 2023
Some have been hyperbolic; many have failed to appreciate how resilient the the service was before Musk’s arrival.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Their hyperbolic rhetoric seduces audiences with outrageous headlines and fact-free claims that whips up the political base and is later regurgitated by lawmakers hoping to exploit the platforms for their own gain.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
Gance’s one-world vision (called Global Republic) uses hyperbolic montage, circling the planet like the awesome triptych imagery in Napoleon.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Aug. 2023
All these hyperbolic and chaotic doings are portrayed as just the way of the world, and the seeming disorder of Harry’s life comes off as the natural order of things.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2023
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Adjective
He was last seen as a scene-stealing hyperbolic defense attorney in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
The comments received immediate pushback, both from critics who have long challenged Trump's habit of attacking others with hyperbolic insults and from historians who said his latest remarks had an unsettling resemblance to those of infamous authoritarians.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2023
On the surface, a statement such as this might sound hyperbolic, even New Agey in its triteness.
—Seth Combs, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
The ask, a revised version of a previous revenue-sharing proposal that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had rejected, prompted hyperbolic remarks on both sides.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Oct. 2023
Some have been hyperbolic; many have failed to appreciate how resilient the the service was before Musk’s arrival.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2023
Their hyperbolic rhetoric seduces audiences with outrageous headlines and fact-free claims that whips up the political base and is later regurgitated by lawmakers hoping to exploit the platforms for their own gain.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
Gance’s one-world vision (called Global Republic) uses hyperbolic montage, circling the planet like the awesome triptych imagery in Napoleon.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 Aug. 2023
All these hyperbolic and chaotic doings are portrayed as just the way of the world, and the seeming disorder of Harry’s life comes off as the natural order of things.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyperbolic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing hyperbolic
Dictionary Entries Near hyperbolic
Cite this Entry
“Hyperbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbolic. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on hyperbolic
Nglish: Translation of hyperbolic for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hyperbolic for Arabic Speakers
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