exaggerate
verb
ex·ag·ger·ate
ig-ˈza-jə-ˌrāt 
exaggerated; exaggerating
1
: to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth : overstate
a friend exaggerates a man's virtues—
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison2
: to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal : overemphasize
: to make an overstatement
Examples of exaggerate in a Sentence
The book exaggerates the difficulties he faced in starting his career.
It's impossible to exaggerate the importance of this discovery.
He tends to exaggerate when talking about his accomplishments.
He exaggerated his movements so we could see them more clearly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Forty-one percent of respondents said news outlets generally exaggerate the seriousness of global warming, which is up from 37% in 2024.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
This response is exaggerated in Raynaud's syndrome.
—Anju Goel, Health, 4 Apr. 2025
The board has exaggerated small differences and declines as failures in Illinois.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Her comments in Aspen explained in extraordinary detail how narrow bands of color juxtaposed with black and white activate the tendency of human vision to exaggerate the contrast between the bands to a mathematically predictable extent.
—Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exaggerate
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Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
This response is exaggerated in Raynaud's syndrome.
—Anju Goel, Health, 4 Apr. 2025
The board has exaggerated small differences and declines as failures in Illinois.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Her comments in Aspen explained in extraordinary detail how narrow bands of color juxtaposed with black and white activate the tendency of human vision to exaggerate the contrast between the bands to a mathematically predictable extent.
—Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exaggerate
Cite this Entry
“Exaggerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exaggerate. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exaggerate
verb
ex·ag·ger·ate
ig-ˈzaj-ə-ˌrāt
exaggerated; exaggerating
: to enlarge a fact or statement beyond what is actual or true
exaggeratedly
adverb
-ˌrāt-əd-lē
exaggeratedness
noun
-nəs
Etymology
from Latin exaggeratus "exaggerate," from exaggerare, literally, "to heap up"
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