exaggerate
gb/ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt/ us/ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt/
B1
English
~ 8500
eltúloz, túloz, felerősít, kiemel, rájátszik, túljátszik
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to exaggerate [something]
He tends to exaggerate his achievements when talking to new people.
Hajlamos eltúlozni az eredményeit, amikor új emberekkel beszélget.
The article clearly exaggerates the danger in order to attract more readers.
A cikk egyértelműen eltúlozza a veszélyt, hogy több olvasót vonzzon.
She exaggerated the size of the crowd to make the event sound more successful.
I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the best meal of my life.
Reports of the damage were greatly exaggerated in the early news coverage.
Learner examples
He likes to exaggerate his stories to make people laugh.
Szereti eltúlozni a történeteit, hogy megnevettesse az embereket.
She exaggerated the price and said the shoes cost a lot more.
Eltúlozta az árat, és azt mondta, hogy a cipő sokkal többe került.
The movie exaggerates the facts and is not fully true.
Please don’t exaggerate; it was just a small problem.
I think you are exaggerating how hard the test was.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "exaggerate" when they actually mean "lie". "Exaggerate" means changing the size or degree of something, often starting from a true fact, while "lie" means saying something that is not true at all. Another mistake is using it transitively when they only need the intransitive form, e.g. saying "He exaggerates it" when native speakers often just say "He exaggerates."
Meaning
make something seem bigger than it is
Collocations
tend to exaggerate
|wildly exaggerate
|grossly exaggerate
|slightly exaggerate
|exaggerate the truth
|exaggerate a problem
Synonyms
overstate (Very close in meaning, slightly more formal and often used in careful or written language.)
|
embellish (Suggests adding extra, often imaginative details to make a story more interesting, not just bigger or worse.)
|
inflate (Often used about numbers, prices, or achievements being made to seem higher than they are.)
Antonyms
understate (Means saying something is smaller, less serious, or less important than it really is.)
|
downplay (Focuses on making something seem less important or serious, especially on purpose.)
Themes
communication
|opinions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to say that something is bigger, better, worse, or more important than it really is
To represent or describe something as more important, larger, better, worse, or more extreme than it really is, especially when speaking or writing.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] exaggerates [something]
Poor lighting exaggerated the shadows on his face.
A rossz fényviszonyok felerősítették az árnyékokat az arcán.
Stress can exaggerate the symptoms of the disease.
A stressz felerősítheti a betegség tüneteit.
The camera angle exaggerates the size of the building.
The dry air exaggerated her cough and made it sound worse.
The design deliberately exaggerates the curve of the roof.
Learner examples
The strong light exaggerates every small line on her skin.
Az erős fény a bőrén minden apró ráncot kiemel.
Cold weather can exaggerate pain in your hands.
A hideg idő felerősítheti a fájdalmat a kezedben.
This mirror exaggerates the size of my nose.
The loud music exaggerates the noise in the room.
The close-up shot exaggerates his eyes.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense only applies to people speaking, but it is also common with things like light, weather, or conditions (e.g. "Stress exaggerates the symptoms"). They also sometimes use "increase" where "exaggerate" is better, when the focus is on how something looks or seems, not on its actual amount.
Meaning
make an effect stronger
Collocations
exaggerate the effect
|exaggerate the problem
|exaggerate the differences
|exaggerate the symptoms
|conditions that exaggerate
|factors that exaggerate
Synonyms
intensify (Focuses on making something stronger or more severe, without the idea of inaccuracy or distortion.)
|
amplify (Often used for sound or signals, but also for making an effect or feeling stronger.)
Antonyms
diminish (Means making something smaller, weaker, or less noticeable.)
Themes
science
|health
|art
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to make something seem stronger or more clear than it really is
To increase or heighten the appearance or effect of something so that it seems stronger, more extreme, or more noticeable than it actually is.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
to exaggerate [a movement / an expression / an accent]
The comedian exaggerated his accent to make the story funnier.
A humorista eltúlozta az akcentusát, hogy viccesebbé tegye a történetet.
Cartoons often exaggerate body shapes to create a humorous effect.
A rajzfilmek gyakran eltúlozzák a testformákat, hogy humoros hatást keltsenek.
She exaggerated her surprised expression so the audience in the back could see it clearly.
The actor was criticized for exaggerating every gesture on stage.
In this style of dance, performers deliberately exaggerate their arm movements.
Learner examples
The child exaggerated his sad face to get more candy.
A gyerek eltúlozta a szomorú arckifejezését, hogy több édességet kapjon.
She exaggerated her smile when she saw the camera.
Eltúlozta a mosolyát, amikor meglátta a kamerát.
In the play, they exaggerate every movement.
The cartoon exaggerates his big nose.
He exaggerated his hurt leg and walked very slowly.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with simply "act" or "move" and forget that "exaggerate" here always implies an unnatural, over-strong way of doing something. It is not used for normal or small changes in movement or expression.
Meaning
overdo expressions or movements
Collocations
exaggerate facial expressions
|exaggerate an accent
|exaggerate a movement
|exaggerate a gesture
|exaggerate a reaction
|exaggerate features
Synonyms
overact (Used mainly about actors who show emotions in a way that is too strong or not natural.)
|
overdo (Broad verb meaning to do something too much; here it highlights making expressions or actions too strong.)
Antonyms
underplay (Means to show less emotion or expression than is normal or expected, especially in acting.)
Themes
art
|entertainment
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
to make your voice, face, or body move in a very big or strong way so it does not look natural
To make gestures, facial expressions, accents, or other behaviors more extreme or unnatural than normal, often for comic, dramatic, or artistic effect.
Grammar
Dictionary form
exaggerate
IPA
GB/ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt/
US/ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
ex - ag - ger - ate (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ag)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: exaggerate
- 3rd Person Singular: exaggerates
- Present Participle: exaggerating
- Past: exaggerated
Word family
Forms
exaggerates
verb
exaggerating
verb
exaggerated
verb
Core family
exaggeration
noun B2
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unexaggerated
adjective
understate
verb B2
Advanced or less common
exaggeratedly
adverb
Expressions
don't exaggerate
1/dˈoʊnt ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
telling someone not to exaggerate
used to tell someone that they are making something sound bigger, better, or worse than it really is
Examples
- Oh, come on, don’t exaggerate—it was just a small scratch.
- You’re saying you waited for three hours? Don’t exaggerate; it was more like thirty minutes.
exaggerate the importance of
1/ɪɡzˈæd͡ʒɚˌeɪt ðə ɪmpˈɔɹtəns əv/
fixed phrase
overstate how important something is
to say that something is more important than it really is
Examples
- We should not exaggerate the importance of this single study.
- It is easy to exaggerate the importance of money and forget other values.