exaggerate
Definitions
To make something seem larger, better, or worse than it really is
夸大，夸张，言过其实
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom exaggerare = ex- (up) + aggerare 'to heap up' (from agger 'a pile,' built on agere 'to drive/carry'). The true root is the gerere family: to exaggerate is to keep heaping more onto the pile until it stands higher than the truth. The ag- segment is ad- assimilated before g-; the surface keeps the -ger- spelling.
Root ag still carries 21 more wordsWhy It Means This
The image hidden in exaggerate is a person shoveling earth onto a mound. Latin agger meant 'a heap, a rampart' — the pile of soil soldiers built up for defense. aggerare meant 'to heap up,' and ex- pushed it further: heap it up and up, beyond what's reasonable. That's why exaggerate isn't just 'to lie' — it's specifically to enlarge, to pile on more than the truth can hold.
Common Collocations
- 1.grossly exaggerate严重夸大
- 2.tend to exaggerate爱夸张
- 3.exaggerate the risk夸大风险
Example Sentences
- 1.
Don't exaggerate — it wasn't that bad.
- 2.
He tends to exaggerate his role in the project.
- 3.
The brochure exaggerates how close the beach really is.
Synonym Comparison
- exaggerate — overstate the size or degree of something real
- overstate — neutral, often about facts or importance
- embellish — add invented, flattering details to a story
- inflate — blow up numbers or claims artificially (inflate figures)
- magnify — make something seem more serious than it is