exaggerate

[ig-zaj-uh-reyt] / ɪgˈzædʒ əˌreɪt /

VERB

overstate, embellish

Synonyms

STRONGEST

amplify distort emphasize fabricate falsify heighten inflate magnify misrepresent overdo overdraw overemphasize overestimate

STRONG

boast boost brag caricature color corrupt embroider enlarge exalt expand fudge hike hyperbolize intensify lie misquote pad puff pyramid romance romanticize scam stretch up

WEAK

blow out of proportion build up cook up go to extremes lay it on thick loud talk make too much of misreport pretty up put on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

compress contract decrease ignore lessen play down

STRONG

abridge be modest deprecate lower reduce shrink

WEAK

depreciate minimize understate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Up-and-down oil prices can temporarily exaggerate underlying trends in inflation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

John Davies, from the Insurance Fraud Bureau, said "opportunistic" customers were using AI to exaggerate genuine claims.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

There is no way to exaggerate the danger of this moment.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

Flat Mercator-projection maps, like the one Lauder showed Trump, exaggerate the size of landmasses near the Earth’s north and south poles.

From Slate • Jan. 8, 2026

To exaggerate a bit, the one-in-eleven figure is a little like saying that nine out of ten people will develop age spots, which doesn’t mean it should be a major preoccupation of thirty-year-olds.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Vocabulary lists containing exaggerate

Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items

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List 4

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