hyperbole
gb/haɪpˈɚbəli/ us/haɪpˈɚbəli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
abstract
1
deliberate exaggeration for effect
An obvious exaggeration used to make something sound stronger or more dramatic.
Usage pattern:
[something] is hyperbole; use hyperbole; a hyperbole about [something]
Common mistake:
Don’t use it for any lie or mistake; hyperbole is usually obvious and not meant to be believed literally.
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.)
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
Themes
language
|communication
|writing
|rhetoric
Examples
- When he said he waited a million years, it was obvious hyperbole.
- The ad is full of hyperbole, but the product is actually pretty ordinary.
- Her speech used hyperbole to highlight how serious the problem felt.
Learner examples
- “I’m starving” is often hyperbole.
- That was hyperbole, not a fact.
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.
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.
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.