exaggerate[eg zaj′ər āt′, ig-]
- To exaggerate is defined as to stretch the truth or to make something seem bigger than it is.
An example of exaggerate is when you catch a two pound fish and say you caught a ten pound fish.
transitive verbexaggerated, exaggerating
- to think, speak, or write of as greater than is really so; magnify beyond the fact; overstate
- to increase or enlarge to an extreme or abnormal degree; overemphasize; intensify
Origin of exaggerate; from Classical Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare, to increase, exaggerate ; from ex-, out, up + aggerare, to heap up ; from agger, a heap ; from aggerere, to bring toward ; from ad-, to + gerere, to carry: see gesture
verbex·ag·ger·at·ed, ex·ag·ger·at·ing, ex·ag·ger·ates
Origin of exaggerateLatin exaggerāre, exaggerāt-, to heap up, magnify : ex-, intensive pref.; see ex– + aggerāre, to pile up (from agger, pile, from aggerere, to bring to : ad-, ad- + gerere, to bring).
- ex·ag′ger·a′tive, ex·ag′ger·a·to′ry
(third-person singular simple present exaggerates, present participle exaggerating, simple past and past participle exaggerated)
From Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare (“to heap up, increase, enlarge, magnify, amplify, exaggerate”), from ex (“out, up”) + aggerare (“to heap up”), from agger (“a pile, heap, mound, dike, mole, pier, etc.”), from aggerere, adgerere (“to bring together”), from ad (“to”) + gerere (“to carry”).