hyperbole
gb/haɪpˈɚbəli/ us/haɪpˈɚbəli/
C1
English
túlzás, hiperbola
NOUN
C1
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is hyperbole; use hyperbole; a hyperbole about [something]
When he said he waited a million years, it was obvious hyperbole.
Amikor azt mondta, hogy egymillió évet várt, az nyilvánvaló túlzás volt.
The ad is full of hyperbole, but the product is actually pretty ordinary.
A reklám tele van túlzásokkal, de a termék valójában elég hétköznapi.
Her speech used hyperbole to highlight how serious the problem felt.
Learner examples
“I’m starving” is often hyperbole.
Az, hogy „éhen halok”, gyakran csak túlzás.
That was hyperbole, not a fact.
Az túlzás volt, nem tény.
Common mistake:
Don’t use it for any lie or mistake; hyperbole is usually obvious and not meant to be believed literally.
Meaning
deliberate exaggeration for effect
Collocations
a bit of hyperbole
|a touch of hyperbole
|pure hyperbole
|a piece of hyperbole
|comic hyperbole
|wild hyperbole
|dramatic hyperbole
|rhetorical hyperbole
|use hyperbole
|resort to hyperbole
Synonyms
exaggeration (Broader and more general; may be intentional or not.)
|
overstatement (Often suggests stating something as larger/stronger than it is, sometimes in a serious tone.)
Antonyms
understatement (Deliberately presenting something as less important or intense than it really is.)
|
literal statement (Meant to be understood exactly as said, without exaggeration.)
Themes
language
|communication
|writing
|rhetoric
Definition
An obvious exaggeration used to make something sound stronger or more dramatic.
An exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally, used to emphasize a point or create a strong impression.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hyperbole
IPA
GB/haɪpˈɚbəli/
US/haɪpˈɚbəli/
Syllables & stress
hy - per - bole (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (per)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hyperbole
- Plural: hyperbole, hyperboles
Word family
Forms
hyperboles
noun
Core family
hyperbolic
adjective
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
understatement
noun
Advanced or less common
hyperbolically
adverb
hyperbolize
verb
Expressions
no hyperbole
1/nˈoʊ haɪpˈɚbəli/
fixed phrase
informal
said to stress truthfulness
Used to say: “I’m not exaggerating.”
Examples
- No hyperbole, that was the best meal I’ve had all year.
- No hyperbole: the venue was packed within minutes.
- No hyperbole, he worked on it every single day for a month.
Learner examples
- No hyperbole, it was amazing.
that’s not hyperbole
1/ðˈæts nˈɑt haɪpˈɚbəli/
fixed phrase
insists statement is literal
Used to say: “I really mean it; I’m not exaggerating.”
Examples
- It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and that’s not hyperbole.
- She carried the team for months—no one else came close, and that’s not hyperbole.
- I’ve read it five times this year; that’s not hyperbole.
Learner examples
- I was shaking— that’s not hyperbole.
without hyperbole
1/wɪðˈaʊt haɪpˈɚbəli/
fixed phrase
formal
not exaggerating
Used to say something is true and not exaggerated.
Examples
- Without hyperbole, this policy will affect millions of people.
- She is, without hyperbole, one of the most influential scientists of her generation.
- The project was, without hyperbole, a turning point for the company.
Learner examples
- Without hyperbole, it changed my life.