exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally (Ex: He's as strong as an ox.)
Origin of hyperbole
Classical Latin from Gr: see hyperbola
She used the hyperbole 'The leaves are dancing in the wind' to describe the beautiful autumn weather.
The definition of hyperbole is a description that is exaggerated for emphasis.
An example of hyperbole is saying you are so hungry you could eat a horse.
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hyperbole
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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hyperbole
noun
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.
Origin of hyperbole
Latin hyperbolē from Greek huperbolē excess from huperballein to exceed huper beyond ; see hyper- . ballein to throw ; see gwelə- in Indo-European roots.THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Noun
(plural hyperboles)
- (uncountable) Extreme exaggeration or overstatement; especially as a literary or rhetorical device.
- (uncountable) Deliberate exaggeration.
- (countable) An instance or example of this technique.
Origin
From Latin hyperbolē, from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή (huperbolē, “excess, exaggeration”), from ὑπέρ (huper, “above”) + βάλλω (ballō, “I throw”).
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"Hyperbole." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Hyperbole.
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Sentence Examples
- I suppose using such hyperbole makes him feel good about himself.
- This isn't mere hyperbole.
- Hyperbole is unacceptable when speaking in court.
- My aunt is a bit of a drama queen, and she uses hyperbole in almost every sentence.
- His claim to be the smartest kid in the school was a bit of a hyperbole!
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WORDS NEAR hyperbole IN THE DICTIONARY
- hyperbole
- hyperbol
- hyperbola
- hyperbolae