noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪɡˌzæd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:IH0 G Z AE2 JH ER0 EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of heaping or piling up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of exaggerating; the act of doing or representing in an excessive manner; a going beyond the bounds of truth, reason, or justice; a hyperbolical representation; hyperbole; overstatement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
They say he's a millionnaire, but that's a massive exaggeration.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A representation of things beyond natural life, in expression, beauty, power, vigor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the act of making something more noticeable than usual
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the dance involved a deliberate exaggeration of his awkwardness
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: increase, step-up
5
noun
Meaning 5
making to seem more important than it really is
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hyperbole
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: trope, figure of speech, figure, image
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵh Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h1éǵhs Proto-Italic *eks Latin ex Latin ex- Latin aggerō Latin exaggerō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin exaggerātiōbor. English exaggeration Borrowed from Latin exaggerātiō.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُبَالَغَة
(mubālaḡa)
— act of exaggerating
Azerbaijani:
mübaliğə
— act of exaggerating
Azerbaijani:
böyütmə
— act of exaggerating
Azerbaijani:
şişirtmə
— act of exaggerating
Belarusian:
перабо́льшанне
(pjerabólʹšannje)
— act of exaggerating
Belarusian:
перавялі́чванне
(pjeravjalíčvannje)
— act of exaggerating
Belarusian:
перабо́льшванне
(pjerabólʹšvannje)
— act of exaggerating
Belarusian:
перавелічэ́нне
(pjeravjeličénnje)
— act of exaggerating
Bengali:
অতিরঞ্জন
(otironjon)
— act of exaggerating
Bulgarian:
преувеличе́ние
(preuveličénie)
— act of exaggerating
Catalan:
exageració
— act of exaggerating
Chinese Mandarin:
誇大 /夸大
(kuādà)
— act of exaggerating
Chinese Mandarin:
誇張 /夸张
(kuāzhāng)
— act of exaggerating
Czech:
přehánění
— act of exaggerating
Danish:
overdrivelse
— act of exaggerating
Dutch:
overdrijving
— act of exaggerating
Estonian:
liialdus
— act of exaggerating
Finnish:
liioittelu
— act of exaggerating
French:
exagération
— act of exaggerating
Galician:
esaxeración
— act of exaggerating
Galician:
exaxeración
— act of exaggerating
Georgian:
გაზვიადება
(gazviadeba)
— act of exaggerating
Georgian:
გადამეტება
(gadameṭeba)
— act of exaggerating
Georgian:
გადიდება
(gadideba)
— act of exaggerating
German:
Übertreibung
— act of exaggerating
Greek:
υπερβολή
(ypervolí)
— act of exaggerating
Ancient Greek:
ὑπερβολή
(huperbolḗ)
— act of exaggerating
Gujarati:
અતિશયોક્તિ
(atiśyokti)
— act of exaggerating
Hebrew:
הגזמה
(hagzama)
— act of exaggerating
Hebrew:
ניפוח
(nipúakh)
— act of exaggerating
Hindi:
अतिशयोक्ति
(atiśyokti)
— act of exaggerating
Hungarian:
túlzás
— act of exaggerating
Irish:
áiféis
— act of exaggerating
Irish:
áibhéil
— act of exaggerating
Old Irish:
spled
— act of exaggerating
Italian:
esagerazione
— act of exaggerating
Ivatan:
kapanatun
— act of exaggerating
Japanese:
過言
(kagon)
— act of exaggerating
Japanese:
誇張
(kochō)
— act of exaggerating
Japanese:
誇大
(kodai)
— act of exaggerating
Kazakh:
әсірелеу
(äsıreleu)
— act of exaggerating
Korean:
과장
(gwajang)
— act of exaggerating
Ladino:
guzmá
— act of exaggerating
Latin:
superlātiō
— act of exaggerating
Lun Bawang:
foot
— act of exaggerating
Macedonian:
преувеличување
(preuveličuvanje)
— act of exaggerating
Macedonian:
претерување
(preteruvanje)
— act of exaggerating
Māori:
tahuperatanga
— act of exaggerating
Norwegian Bokmål:
overdrivelse
— act of exaggerating
Occitan:
exageracion
— act of exaggerating
Persian:
غلو
(ġolov)
— act of exaggerating
Persian:
گترم
(gotrom)
— act of exaggerating
Plautdietsch:
Becht
— act of exaggerating
Polish:
przesada
— act of exaggerating
Portuguese:
exagero
— act of exaggerating
Romanian:
exagerare
— act of exaggerating
Russian:
преувеличе́ние
(preuveličénije)
— act of exaggerating
Serbo-Croatian:
преувеличавање
— act of exaggerating
Serbo-Croatian:
претеривање
— act of exaggerating
Serbo-Croatian:
preuveličavanje
— act of exaggerating
Serbo-Croatian:
pretiravanje
— act of exaggerating
Slovak:
preháňanie
— act of exaggerating
Slovene:
pretiravanje
— act of exaggerating
Spanish:
exageración
— act of exaggerating
Swedish:
överdrift
— act of exaggerating
Telugu:
అతిశయోక్తి
(atiśayōkti)
— act of exaggerating
Turkish:
abartı
— act of exaggerating
Turkish:
mübalağa
— act of exaggerating
Ukrainian:
перебі́льшення
(perebílʹšennja)
— act of exaggerating
Ukrainian:
перебі́льшування
(perebílʹšuvannja)
— act of exaggerating
Uyghur:
مۇبالىغە
(mubalighe)
— act of exaggerating
