exaggerate

1 to add to the interest of by including made-up details the American colonist John Smith is believed by many historians to have exaggerated his adventures Synonyms color, elaborate (on), embellish, embroider, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretchRelated Words dress up, gussy up; amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out); fudge, hedge; overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate; emphasize, play up, stress; caricature; satirizeNear Antonyms belittle, minimize, play down, understate

2 to describe or express in too strong terms it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of this entrance exam Synonyms overstate, overdo, overdraw, put onRelated Words color, elaborate, embellish, embroider, magnify, pad, play up, stretch; fudge, hedge; melodramatize, overemphasize, overplay, sensationalizeNear Antonyms belittle, minimize, play downAntonyms understate