hyperbole

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Deliberate or unintentional overstatement, particularly extreme overstatement.
  2. An instance or example of such overstatement.
  3. A hyperbola.

Pronunciation

/haɪˈpɜːbəli/ /haɪˈpɝbəli/ en-us-hyperbole.ogg en-au-hyperbole.ogg

Word forms

hyperbole hyperboles

Etymology

From Middle English iperbole, yperbole, from Latin hyperbolē, from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολή (huperbolḗ, “excess, exaggeration”), from ὑπέρ (hupér, “above”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-). Doublet of hyperbola.

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