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exaggerate

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To exaggerate is defined as to stretch the truth or to make something seem bigger than it is.

(verb)

An example of exaggerate is when you catch a two pound fish and say you caught a ten pound fish.

See exaggerate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb exaggerated, exaggerating

to think, speak, or write of as greater than is really so; magnify beyond the fact; overstate
to increase or enlarge to an extreme or abnormal degree; overemphasize; intensify

Origin: < L exaggeratus, pp. of exaggerare, to increase, exaggerate < ex-, out, up + aggerare, to heap up < agger, a heap < aggerere, to bring toward < ad-, to + gerere, to carry: see gesture

intransitive verb

to give an exaggerated description or account

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See exaggerate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb ex·ag·ger·at·ed, ex·ag·ger·at·ing, ex·ag·ger·ates

verb, transitive

To represent as greater than is actually the case; overstate: exaggerate the size of the enemy force; exaggerated his own role in the episode.
To enlarge or increase to an abnormal degree: thick lenses that exaggerated the size of her eyes.

verb, intransitive

To make overstatements.

Origin:

Origin: Latin exaggerāre, exaggerāt-, to heap up, magnify

Origin: : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex-

Origin: + aggerāre, to pile up (from agger, pile, from aggerere, to bring to : ad-, ad- + gerere, to bring)

Related Forms: