exaggerate Hear it!

exaggerate definition

ex·ag·ger·ate (eg zaj′ər āt′, ig-)

transitive verb exaggerated -·at′ed, exaggerating -·at′·ing

  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

Etymology: < 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

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.