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

Customers risk having their claim rejected, their policy cancelled and potential prosecution if they invent or exaggerate a claim.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

You can’t exaggerate how important television was in the making of this man, and I don’t mean “The Apprentice,” I mean those old movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

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

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

There was desperation in all she said, an emptiness at its core, or something excluded or unnamed that made her talk faster, and exaggerate with less conviction.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Vocabulary lists containing exaggerate

Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items

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List 4

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