exaggeration

transitive verb exaggerated, exaggerating

1. to think, speak, or write of as greater than is really so; magnify beyond the fact; overstate
2. 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