
What does it mean to exaggerate something?
Definition of Exaggeration. We all exaggerate. Sometimes by spicing up stories to make them more fun, or simply to highlight our points. Exaggeration is a statement that makes something worse, or better, than it really is.
What is the effect of exaggeration in literature?
In literature and oral communication, writers and speakers use exaggeration as a literary technique, to give extra stress and drama in a work or speech.
What are the literary devices that serve as a form of exaggeration?
There are several literary devices that serve as a form of exaggeration. It is important to be aware of the main devices and how they function. Overstatement is the process whereby something is stated more profoundly than it deserves, with the purpose of making the intended effect more dramatic.
What is an exaggeration in Romeo and Juliet?
Overstatement: This type of exaggeration refers to a slight exaggeration. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says that Juliet’s beauty “teaches the torches to burn bright”.

What is an exaggeration for effect?
Exaggeration (also called hyperbole) is a literary technique which involves over emphasising something to cause a more effective response in the reader. It is a type of figurative language (like similes and metaphors), as it is used to create more vivid images in the mind of the reader than literal comparisons.
What is it called when you exaggerate a statement?
Hyperbole is an exaggerated form of statement, and is used to magnify or diminish an object.
What is the literary term for an exaggeration?
hyperbole, a figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect. Hyperbole is common in love poetry, in which it is used to convey the lover's intense admiration for his beloved.
What are the types of exaggeration?
Exaggeration exists in many forms including overstatement, hyperbole, farce, and caricature. Each form of exaggeration serves to over-emphasize a certain idea or trait in order to bring attention to that thing. Beyond this, exaggeration creates dramatic effect.
What is an example of an anaphora?
Here's a quick and simple definition: Anaphora is a figure of speech in which words repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences. For example, Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech contains anaphora: "So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
What is rhetorical hyperbole?
Rhetorical hyperbole is a First Amendment-based doctrine that often provides protection to exaggerated, over-the-top speech in defamation cases.
Is it a hyperbole or hyperbole?
Hyperbole (/haɪˈpɜːrbəli/ ( listen); adj. hyperbolic /ˌhaɪpərˈbɒlɪk/ ( listen)) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth').
How does hyperbole effect the reader?
In literature, hyperbole functions to emphasize ordinary human emotions in a way that makes them extraordinary. This creates an effect that grabs the reader's attention more than ordinary language would. Hyperbole in literature can also create contrasts between the mundane and the important aspects of the story.
What is hyperbole and irony?
Hyperbole is a marker of irony that not only directs the hearer's attention to the ironic contrast, but also increases the magnitude of that ironic contrast. Imagine it is raining. The ironic contrast is greater if you say “Oh my gosh, it's the sunniest day of my entire life!” rather than simply “Nice weather …”.
Is hyperbole the same as exaggeration?
Both exaggeration and hyperbole are representations of something in an excessive manner. Exaggeration is presenting something as better or worse than it really is whereas hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a literary or rhetorical device.
What are figurative terms?
Figurative language refers to words or phrases that are meaningful, but not literally true.
What is a example of a hyperbole?
Examples of HyperboleI'm so hungry, I could eat a horse.My feet are killing me.That plane ride took forever.This is the best book ever written.I love you to the moon and back.The pen is mightier than the sword.I've told you this 20,000 times.Cry me a river.
What does antithesis mean?
Definition of antithesis 1a : the direct opposite Her temperament is the very antithesis of mine. b(1) : the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences (as in "action, not words" or "they promised freedom and provided slavery")
Is hyperbole and exaggeration the same?
Both exaggeration and hyperbole are representations of something in an excessive manner. Exaggeration is presenting something as better or worse than it really is whereas hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a literary or rhetorical device. This is the main difference between exaggeration and hyperbole.
What are literary terms in literature?
Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions. Literary terms can refer to playful techniques employed by comedians to make us laugh or witty tricks wordsmiths use to coin new words or phrases.
What is an example of a hyperbole?
Those who hear or read the hyperbole should understand that it is an exaggeration. You've probably heard common hyperboles in everyday conversations such as “I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse,” “I've seen this movie a hundred times,” or “It cost an arm and a leg.”
What do you mean by exaggerate?
Exaggerate is to take an idea and dramatically distort it to prove a point. The exaggerated statement may no longer be true.
What is an example of exaggeration?
Hyperbole is an extreme or impossible exaggeration. An example is: the moon was so bright I needed sunscreen to avoid a burn! This can be used for...
What does exaggeration mean in writing?
The definition of exaggeration includes the over-emphasis of an idea to make it better or worse and add dramatic effect to the literary work. It ov...
What is an exaggeration?
Exaggeration is a literary device that is used to achieve a desired effect within the literature and can be applied in a variety of scenarios.
What is the definition of exaggeration?
The definition of exaggeration includes the over-emphasis of an idea to make it better or worse and add dramatic effect to the literary work. It overstates, dramatizes, or falsifies an idea by taking a characteristic and drawing it out into its most extreme form.
What is hyperbole in literature?
hyperbole is an extreme or impossible exaggeration. An example is: the moon was so bright I needed sunscreen to avoid a burn! This can be used for comedic relief or dramatic emphasis. It also creates intense imagery, conveys strong emotion, and helps with the description of characters within a literary work. Tall tales and unbelievable stories are both examples of hyperbole.
What is an overstatement?
overstatement is a slight exaggeration of a person, scenario, or object. An example of an overstatement is: I would die if I got to meet Bob Weir. This is a commonly used form of exaggeration.
What is exaggeration in literature?
What is exaggeration in the literary sense? The definition of exaggeration includes the over-emphasis of an idea to make it better or worse to add a dramatic effect to the literary work. It overstates, dramatizes, or falsifies an idea by taking a characteristic and drawing it out into its most extreme form. Exaggeration can be used in novels, poems, or books to create a particular impression upon the reader. Scientific works, such as academic journals, do not use exaggeration as an element within their work. It is commonly used in fiction and nonfiction writing. This literary technique is commonly used in literature for emphasis.
How does exaggeration add to a mythical plot?
Exaggeration can also add a mythical element by overstating an idea or drawing out a concept. This leads the reader away from reality and lends room for a mystical plot to develop.
What is the dramatic distortion of a concept within a literary work to create an effect within the reader?
Exaggeration is the dramatic distortion of a concept within a literary work to create an effect within the reader. Exaggeration can be used in plays, poetry, novels, and tall tales. It should not be used in factual, scientific works.
What are some examples of exaggeration in literature?
Examples of Exaggeration in Literature. In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” the narrator begins the story with exaggerating the wrongdoings of his enemy Fortunato. He tells the reader, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”.
What is literary exaggeration?
Exaggeration definition: Exaggeration is a literary device that refers to a method authors use to describe something as being better or worse than it actually is.
How does Steinbeck exaggerate loneliness?
Here, Steinbeck exaggerates the loneliness of the men by describing them as being the loneliest people in the entire world. This is to emphasize the extreme isolation and lack of belonging these men feel.
What is an overstatement in Romeo and Juliet?
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says that Juliet’s beauty “teaches the torches to burn bright”. This is an overstatement that slightly exaggerates Juliet’s beauty’s ability to teach torches to burn brightly.
Why is "nothing" an exaggeration?
Her use of the word “nothing” is an example of exaggeration because there were obviously places to see outside of her hometown, but as a child, she felt like nothing existed beyond her home.
Why do authors use exaggeration?
Authors use exaggeration in their writing in order to achieve a desired effect. The effect desired can vary from emphasizing an important point to creating humor. By using exaggeration, the author can draw the readers’ attention to what is being exaggerated in order to achieve this effect.
When authors are describing a situation they may employ exaggeration?
When they use exaggeration they are describing in a way that makes it seem worse or better than the reality of the situation.
What are some examples of exaggeration?
Everyday Examples of Exaggeration 1 This bicycle is a thousand years old. 2 He snores louder than a cargo train. 3 My dog only has cat friends. 4 He is drowning in his tears. 5 His brain is the size of a pea.
Why do writers use exaggeration?
In literature and oral communication, writers and speakers use exaggeration as a literary technique, to give extra stress and drama in a work or speech.
How does Jonathan Swift exaggerate?
In this essay, Swift exaggerates by suggesting that the only way to save Ireland from poverty and overpopulation is to kill the children of the poor families. He further suggests that their meat would serve as a delicacy for the nobles of Ireland. He continues to exaggerate, considering ways and recipes to make their skin into handbags and gloves by saying:
Why did Andrew Marvell use exaggeration in this excerpt?
Andrew Marvell has employed exceptional exaggeration in this excerpt to praise his beloved. His purpose of using this literary device is to lay emphasis on his point, rather than deception.
What is hyperbole in the essay Parker's Back?
Hyperbole is an extreme, extravagant, and impossible exaggeration, such as when Flannery O’Connor writes in his essay, Parker’s Back: “And the skin on her face was thin and drawn tight like the skin on an onion and her eyes were gray and sharp like the points of two ice picks.”.
Why did Swift exaggerate the idea of poverty?
In fact, Swift exaggerates tenaciously this idea because the people of Ireland have failed to find a logical solution to reduce poverty and overpopulation.
