[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/exaggerate.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / exaggerate

[← E](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/E/)

# exaggerate

«exaggerate» in Mova's school dictionary: **to make something sound bigger, better, worse or more…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (exaggerate, exaggerates, exaggerated, exaggerating)

### meaning for a pupil

To exaggerate is to make something sound bigger, better, worse or more important than it really is. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life people exaggerate to make a story funnier or to get attention («I've told you a million times»); in stories and tall tales exaggeration is for fun; in science and maths you must report results exactly, not exaggerate. Phrases: «don't exaggerate», «exaggerate a story», «greatly exaggerated».

### examples

- Don't exaggerate; it wasn't as big as a house! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x1)
- He exaggerated how far he could swim. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x2)
- The advert exaggerates how good the toy is. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x3)
- I'm not exaggerating; there really were a hundred bees. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x4)
- Cartoons exaggerate people's faces to make them funny. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x5)
- She exaggerated the story to make her friends laugh. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x6)
- Scientists must report what they measured and not exaggerate. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x7)
- It would be difficult to exaggerate the old man’s rejoicing now. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/#x8)

### note

Spelling trap: double «g», one «r»: ex-ag-ger-ate. Noun: «exaggeration». Exaggerating is not always lying, but it can mislead. Adverts and posts online often exaggerate; check the real facts.

### In the corpora

- [Headlines about AI can exaggerate in both directions, overhyping or overscaring, so it is wise to read beyond the headline.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/ai/23-news-tricked-bots-discoveries/9/)
- [Sharks smell blood well, but the story that they can smell one drop from miles away is exaggerated.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/28-sharks/8/)
- ["Stretching the truth" means exaggerating so much that it becomes lying.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/28-stealing-and-lying/17/)
- [A "fish story" is a US phrase for an exaggerated or invented claim.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/29-lying-and-drinking/16/)
- [Another family's rules are not a reason for yours to change, and stories about «three hours» are often exaggerated.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/421-screen-time-rules-and-arguments/20/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «exaggerate» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/exaggerate/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.