hyperbole
[ hahy-pur-buh-lee ]
/ haɪˈpɜr bə li /
noun Rhetoric.
obvious and intentional exaggeration.
an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
Compare
litotes.
Origin of hyperbole
1520–30; < Greek
hyperbolḗ excess, exaggeration, throwing beyond, equivalent to
hyper-
hyper- +
bolḗ throw
Words nearby hyperbole
Example sentences from the Web for hyperbole
British Dictionary definitions for hyperbole
hyperbole
/ (haɪˈpɜːbəlɪ) /
noun
a deliberate exaggeration used for effect
he embraced her a thousand times
Derived forms of hyperbole
hyperbolism, nounWord Origin for hyperbole
C16: from Greek: from
hyper- +
bolē a throw, from
ballein to throw
Cultural definitions for hyperbole
hyperbole
[ (heye-pur-buh-lee) ]
An exaggerated, extravagant expression. It is hyperbole to say, “I'd give my whole fortune for a bowl of bean soup.”