---
title: hyperbolic — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «hyperbolic» in the school dictionary: Hyperbolic language exaggerates on purpose, making things sound much bigger, better or worse than they really are, like «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.». Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# hyperbolic

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Hyperbolic language, making, things, I, Hyperbolic, bag · **What happens:** exaggerate, make, sound, be, eat, mean · **To what, where:** purpose, things, horse, ton, hyperbolic way, hyperbolic claims · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«hyperbolic» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [hyperbolic in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hyperbolic.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hyperbolic language exaggerates on purpose, making things sound much bigger, better or worse than they really are, like «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.».

<!-- fold The tree, 27 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:m1:1
# text = Hyperbolic language exaggerates on purpose, making things sound much bigger, better or worse than they really are, like «I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.».
1	Hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	exaggerates	exaggerate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	making	make	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	csubj	_	_
8	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
9	sound	sound	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
10	much	much	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	9	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	better	good	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	11	conj	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	worse	bad	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	11	conj	_	_
16	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
17	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
18	really	really	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
19	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
21	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	26	mark	_	_
22	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	26	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	26	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	'm	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	26	cop	_	_
25	so	so	ADV	RB	_	26	advmod	_	_
26	hungry	hungry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	29	advcl	_	_
27	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	29	nsubj	_	_
28	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	29	aux	_	_
29	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	19	conj	_	_
30	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	31	det	_	_
31	horse	horse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exaggerate** | present | Hyperbolic language |  |  | purpose |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **make** | gerund |  | things |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset thing=Product |
| 3 | **sound** | present | making |  |  |  |  | big *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **does** | present | things *= thing* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 5 | **is** *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  |  | hungry *property* | tree rules |
| 6 | **eat** *in a quote* | could | I | a horse |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent horse=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: maths — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hyperbolic means to do with a hyperbola, a special open curve with two separate branches.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:m2:1
# text = Hyperbolic means to do with a hyperbola, a special open curve with two separate branches.
1	Hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	ccomp	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	hyperbola	hyperbola	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
10	special	special	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
11	open	open	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	curve	curve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
15	separate	separate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	branches	branch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Hyperbolic |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | with a hyperbola and a special open curve with two separate branches | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«This bag weighs a ton» is a hyperbolic way of saying it is heavy.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x1:1
# text = «This bag weighs a ton» is a hyperbolic way of saying it is heavy.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	This	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
3	bag	bag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	weighs	weigh	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	csubj	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	ton	ton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
12	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
13	saying	say	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	acl	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **weigh** *in a quote* | present | this bag | a ton |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme ton=Value |
| 2 | **is a** | present |  | a hyperbolic way |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund | a hyperbolic way *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is** | present | bag |  |  |  |  | heavy *property* | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The advert made hyperbolic claims about the miracle shampoo.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x2:1
# text = The advert made hyperbolic claims about the miracle shampoo.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	advert	advert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	claims	claim	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	miracle	miracle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	shampoo	shampoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past | the advert | hyperbolic claims |  |  |  | about the miracle shampoo | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset claim=Product |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her hyperbolic story said the spider was the size of a dinner plate.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x3:1
# text = Her hyperbolic story said the spider was the size of a dinner plate.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	spider	spider	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	ccomp	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	dinner	dinner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	plate	plate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Her hyperbolic story |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | the spider | the size |  |  |  | of a dinner plate | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We underlined all the hyperbolic phrases in the poem.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x4:1
# text = We underlined all the hyperbolic phrases in the poem.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	underlined	underline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	6	det:predet	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	phrases	phrase	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	poem	poem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **underline** | past | We | all hyperbolic phrases |  | the poem |  |  | vn scribble-25.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent phrase=Theme in poem=Destination |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He gave hyperbolic praise: «the greatest sandwich in history».

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x5:1
# text = He gave hyperbolic praise: «the greatest sandwich in history».
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	praise	praise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	2	punct	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	greatest	great	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	9	amod	_	_
9	sandwich	sandwich	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | past | He | hyperbolic praise |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent praise=Recipient sandwich=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A hyperbola is a curve, and things to do with it are called hyperbolic.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hyperbolic:x6:1
# text = A hyperbola is a curve, and things to do with it are called hyperbolic.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hyperbola	hyperbola	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	curve	curve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
8	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obl	_	_
13	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl:relcl	_	_
15	hyperbolic	hyperbolic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a hyperbola | a curve |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive |  | things *not said here* |  |  |  | with hyperbola | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **call** | present · passive | a curve *not said here* | things |  |  |  | hyperbolic *property* | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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