hyperbole
Definitions
Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis, not meant to be taken literally.
夸张法；夸张修辞
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedhyper- (over, beyond) + bole (from bol, throw) = 'a throwing beyond.' To exaggerate is to hurl your claim past the truth — 'I've told you a million times.' It is a deliberate figure of speech, not a lie.
Root bol still carries 14 more wordsWhy It Means This
The whole word is a metaphor for overshooting: your statement is thrown beyond what is real. Unlike a lie, hyperbole is understood as exaggeration by both speaker and listener — it is for effect. Compare it with understatement (deliberately playing something down), its opposite.
Usage Guide
Pronunciation trap: it is /haɪˈpɜːbəli/ — four syllables, hy-PER-bo-lee, with the stress on the second. It is NOT read like 'hyper' + 'bowl.' The adjective form is hyperbolic /ˌhaɪpəˈbɒlɪk/. Register: literary/rhetorical — you 'use hyperbole,' you don't 'do a hyperbole.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
Saying you're 'starving' before lunch is just hyperbole.
- 2.
The ad was full of hyperbole, promising to change your life overnight.
- 3.
'I've asked you a thousand times' is a classic hyperbole.