exaggeration

[ig-zaj-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of exaggerating or overstating.

2. an instance of exaggerating; an overstatement.

   His statement concerning the size of his income is a gross exaggeration.

Other Word Forms

• nonexaggeration noun
• overexaggeration noun
• self-exaggeration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of exaggeration¹

1555–65; < Latin exaggerātiōn- (stem of exaggerātiō ), equivalent to exaggerāt ( us ) ( exaggerate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

"It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it's a crime against humanity," Judge Choudhary said in his order.

From BBC

Liverpool were not at their best, struggling for fluency and frustrated, but "suffering" is certainly a glass-half-full exaggeration of proceedings from the beaten Arsenal manager.

From BBC

Without a hint of exaggeration, it could have been 10.

From BBC

“The lies, deceit, exaggerations and misrepresentations need to be addressed with the only thing that can refute them — the true facts.”

From Los Angeles Times

These dangers are particularly obvious to academics and other intellectual elites: They include fascism, nativism, anti-intellectualism, persecution of unpopular minorities, exaltation of the mediocre, and romantic exaggeration of the wisdom and virtue of the masses.

From Salon

Related Words

• baloney 
• excess 
• fabrication 
• falsehood 
• fantasy 
• hyperbole 
• misjudgment www.thesaurus.com
• misrepresentation 
• untruth