exaggerate

CEFRB2

/ɛɡˈzæd͡ʒ.ə.ɹeɪt/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To describe something as larger, better, or worse than it really is.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Exaggerative; overblown.

Examples

  • Don't take it literally. He is inclined to exaggerate.

  • It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of education.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
3
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ɛk(s)ˈzæ(ɡ)d͡ʒɜː(ɹ).ɹeɪt/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meaning
  1. To overstate, to describe more than the fact.

More examples

In context
  • He said he’d slept with hundreds of girls, but I know he’s exaggerating. The real number is about ten.

  • I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate!

  • And in general, if it is a natural feeling, let it be, but at normal, living levels, not too exaggerate.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Don't blank the size of the fish you caught.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

Borrowed from Latin exaggerātus, perfect passive participle of exaggerō (“to heap up, increase, enlarge, magnify, amplify, exaggerate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out, up”) + aggerō, aggerāre (“to heap up”), from agger (“a pile, heap, mound, dike, mole, pier, etc.”), from aggerō, aggerere (“to bear, carry to (some place), bring together”), from ad- (“to, toward”) + gerō (“to carry”).