noun
hyperbole
heye-PUR-buh-lee
noun
1
Exaggeration used for effect, not meant to be taken literally.
""I've told you a million times" is hyperbole, not a literal count."
"The ad's claim of "the best pizza in the universe" was pure hyperbole."
How to Use Hyperbole
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDeliberate over-the-top exaggeration used to make a point or for comic effect.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "hyperbola," the geometric curve — same root, very different meaning.
Easily confused with
hyperbola
Common pairings
pure hyperbole
without hyperbole
marketing hyperbole
Word Forms
hyperboles plural
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"I've told you a million times" is _____, not a literal count.
Etymology
From Greek hyperbolē ("excess, exaggeration"), literally "a throwing beyond" — from hyper- ("above") + ballein ("to throw"). A doublet of "hyperbola," the math curve.