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
Coffey seemed to exaggerate it, throwing her hands up while going down.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
The movie exaggerates the struggles Scaravella faced.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 9 May 2025
Growth decelerated from double-digit annual rates two decades ago to rates in the high single digits in the 2010s to rates of around five percent today (discounted by many China watchers to closer to two percent, to account for the CCP’s tendency to exaggerate).
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Additionally, surveys show that 73 percent of U.S. workers would consider using AI to embellish their resumes, with 45 percent admitting the use of AI to exaggerate their skills during the hiring process.
—Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exaggerate
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Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
The movie exaggerates the struggles Scaravella faced.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 9 May 2025
Growth decelerated from double-digit annual rates two decades ago to rates in the high single digits in the 2010s to rates of around five percent today (discounted by many China watchers to closer to two percent, to account for the CCP’s tendency to exaggerate).
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Additionally, surveys show that 73 percent of U.S. workers would consider using AI to embellish their resumes, with 45 percent admitting the use of AI to exaggerate their skills during the hiring process.
—Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 27 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 15 May. 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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