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Hyperbole (pronounced /haɪˈpɜrbəli/^[1], from ancient Greek ὑπερβολή 'exaggeration') is a rhetorical device in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole is used to create emphasis. It is a literary device often used in poetry, and is frequently encountered in casual speech. It is also a visual technique in which a deliberate exaggeration of a particular part of an image is employed, such as the exaggeration of a person's facial feature in a political cartoon.

In rhetoric, some opposites of hyperbole are meiosis, litotes, understatement, and bathos (the 'let down' after a hyperbole in a phrase).

Etymology

Borrowed from the Greek ὑπερβολή, literally 'overshooting' or 'excess', but used in the sense of 'exaggeration' by Isocrates and Aristotle. The word hyperbola comes from the same Greek word, but was borrowed via Latin.^[2]

Examples

Some examples of use of hyperbole include:

• These books weigh a ton. (These books are heavy.)
• I could sleep for a year. (I could sleep for a long time.)
• The path went on forever. (The path was very long.)
• I'm doing a million things right now. (I'm busy.)
• I could eat a horse. (I'm hungry.)
• I waited centuries for you. (I waited a long time for you.)
• It took forever to get here. (It took a long time to get here.)
• She ran at the "speed of light". (she ran fast.)
• The homework was a "mission to complete". (the homework was hard.)

References

External links

• A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples
• Audio illustrations of hyperbole as figure of speech

From LoveToKnow 1911

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