WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•ag•ger•a•tion
(ig zaj′ə rā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act of exaggerating or overstating.
- an instance of exaggerating;
an overstatement:His statement concerning the size of his income is a gross exaggeration.
- Latin exaggerātiōn- (stem of exaggerātiō), equivalent. to exaggerāt(us) (see exaggerate) + -iōn- -ion
- 1555–65
ex•ag•ger•ate /ɪgˈzædʒəˌreɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -at•ed, -at•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to magnify (something) beyond the limits of truth; overstate: [ ~ + obj]:to exaggerate the difficulties of a situation.[no object]I think you are exaggerating when you say he is as tall as a tree.
ex•ag•ger•ate
(ig zaj′ə rāt′),USA pronunciation v., -at•ed, -at•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
ex•ag′ger•at′ing•ly, adv.
ex•ag′ger•a′tor, n.
v.t.
- to magnify beyond the limits of truth;
overstate;
represent disproportionately:to exaggerate the difficulties of a situation. - to increase or enlarge abnormally:Those shoes exaggerate the size of my feet.
v.i.
- to employ exaggeration, as in speech or writing:a person who is always exaggerating.
- Latin exaggerātus (past participle of exaggerāre heap up), equivalent. to ex- ex-1 + agger heap + -ātus -ate1
- 1525–35
ex•ag′ger•a′tor, n.
- 1. embellish, amplify, embroider. 2. inflate.
- 1. minimize.
'exaggeration' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
caricature
- cool
- dub
- embroidery
- expressionism
- hyperbole
- mannerism
- nicey-nicey
- say
- sober
- toxic effect
- yellow journalism
- big talk
- boast
- bullshit
- burlesque
- con
- cowardly
- crap
- crock
- crud
- discount
- exaggerate
- exaggerative
- free perspective
- grandiose
- horseshit
- hungry
- hyper
- hyperbolize
- jive
- lavish
- literal
- literally
- magnificent
- Pietism
- puff
- rhetoric
- romance
- self-exaggeration
- self-flattery
- shit
- snow job