noun

exaggeration

ig-zaj-uh-RAY-shun/ɪɡˌzædʒəˈreɪʃn/

A statement or portrayal that makes something seem greater than it really is.

The fisherman's widely spread hands reveal his exaggeration of the small catch.

A fisherman describes his small catch to a companion while spreading his hands implausibly far apart.

Etymology

exLatinprobably thoroughly

+aggerLatinheap

+ationLatinaction or result

The underlying image is a heap piled higher, with ex- probably intensifying the action. This became figurative magnification, so an exaggeration is a statement that makes its subject seem greater than it is.

In context

NetTV Catholic2:07

someone once remarked everyone in New Orleans is Catholic perhaps this is a bit of an exaggeration but I think it really speaks

The Chair: New Orleans, LA

More examples

The movie's portrayal of teenage life is an exaggeration.
Her stories are funny, but they contain a few exaggerations.
I can say without exaggeration that this mistake costs us thousands.

Forms

exaggeration · exaggerations

exaggerate verb — To make something seem greater than reality.

Similar words

overstatement: Often emphasizes wording that claims more than the facts support.
hyperbole: Usually means deliberate, obvious exaggeration used for rhetorical effect.