hyperbolic
adj.adj. describing something as much bigger, better, or worse than it really is. You use this when someone is exaggerating to make a point.
adj. characterised by deliberate and obvious exaggeration for rhetorical effect. Often used to describe speech or writing that is not intended to be taken literally.
His claim that he waited for hours was hyperbolic.
The politician's hyperbolic speech about the minor tax change caused unnecessary panic among the voters.
While the author's prose is often hyperbolic, these stylistic excesses serve to mirror the protagonist's increasingly unstable and dramatic mental state.
From Latin hyperbolic(us), from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός (huperbolikós). First attested in the 15th century. By surface analysis, hyperbol(e) + -ic.
First attested in 1676. By surface analysis, hyperbol(a) + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used to describe language, claims, or rhetorical styles; can be used predicatively after linking verbs like 'sound' or 'seem'.
Last updated May 8, 2026