exaggeration
part of speech
noun (an exaggeration, exaggerations; exaggeration, uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
1) An exaggeration is a statement that makes something seem bigger, better or worse than it really is. tree →
2) Exaggeration is the habit or act of exaggerating. tree →
sense in the lessons
In school English, exaggeration (also called hyperbole) is a figure of speech used for humour or effect: «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse». In everyday life it can be fun, but in reports and science it misleads. Phrases: «a slight exaggeration», «it's no exaggeration to say», «a gross exaggeration».
examples
- «I've walked a thousand miles today» is an exaggeration. tree →
- It's no exaggeration to say she is the fastest runner in school. tree →
- Tall tales are full of exaggeration. tree →
- Saying everyone has one is an exaggeration. tree →
- That's a bit of an exaggeration; it was only five minutes. tree →
- The advert used exaggeration to sell the shoes. tree →
- Find the exaggeration in this poem. tree →
note
Spelling: double «g», one «r». Countable (an exaggeration) or uncountable (full of exaggeration). The literary term is «hyperbole». Words like «always», «never», «everyone» and «millions» often signal exaggeration.
In the corpora
- "Your room looks like a bomb's hit it" is an exaggeration meaning the room is very messy.
- Exaggeration that everyone knows is a joke, like lights «seen from space», is harmless fun.
- Persuasive techniques include reasons in order, strong words, exaggeration and rhetorical questions.
- Knowing a few real facts helps you spot exaggerations.
- «All politicians are liars» is an exaggeration; some lie, some don't, and many do a mix.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «exaggeration» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.