hyperbole

hyperbole
/huy perr"beuh lee/, n. Rhet.
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as "to wait an eternity." Cf. litotes.
[1520-30; < Gk hyperbolé excess, exaggeration, throwing beyond, equiv. to hyper- HYPER- + bolé throw]
Syn. 2. overstatement.
Ant. 2. understatement.

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      a figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect. Hyperbole is common in love poetry, in which it is used to convey the lover's intense admiration for his beloved. An example is the following passage describing Portia:

Why, if two gods should play some heavenly
match
And on the wager lay two earthly women,
And Portia one, there must be something else
Pawned with the other, for the poor rude
world
Hath not her fellow.
(Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (Merchant of Venice, The))

      When hyperbole fails to create the desired dramatic effect, exaggeration may seem ridiculous. Examples of hyperbole occur in sagas recounting the heroic deeds of legendary kings and warriors, tall tales, Greek and Roman mythology, and, in a broader sense, in political rhetoric and advertising slogans.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • hyperbole — [ ipɛrbɔl ] n. f. • yperbole XIIIe; lat. hyperbole, gr. huperbolê, de huper « au dessus » et ballein « lancer » I ♦ Rhét. Figure de style qui consiste à mettre en relief une idée au moyen d une expression qui la dépasse (opposé à litote). ⇒ …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • hyperbole — early 15c., from L. hyperbole, from Gk. hyperbole exaggeration, extravagance, related to hyperballein to throw over or beyond, from hyper beyond + bole a throwing, a casting, the stroke of a missile, bolt, beam, from bol , nom. stem of ballein to …   Etymology dictionary

  • Hyperbole — Hy*per bo*le, n. [L., fr. Gr?, prop., an overshooting, excess, fr. Gr. ? to throw over or beyond; ype r over + ? to throw. See {Hyper }, {Parable}, and cf. {Hyperbola}.] (Rhet.) A figure of speech in which the expression is an evident… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hypérbŏlē — (griech.), Hyperbel (s. d.); hyperbolisch, übertreibend; hyperbolisieren, in Hyperbeln reden, übertreiben …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • hyperbole — I noun aggrandizement, amplification, enhancement, enlargement, exaggeration, extravagance, magnification, overemphasis, overenlargement, overstatement II index bombast, caricature, distortion, exaggeration …   Law dictionary

  • hyperbole — *exaggeration, overstatement …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • hyperbole — pronounced hiy per bǝ li, is a figure of speech involving an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally, e.g. a thousand apologies. It should not be confused with hyperbola, pronounced hiy per bǝ lǝ, a term in geometry …   Modern English usage

  • hyperbole — [n] exaggeration amplification, big talk*, coloring*, distortion, embellishment, embroidering, enlargement, hype*, laying it on thick*, magnification, metaphor, mountain out of molehill*, overstatement, PR*, tall talk*; concept 268 Ant.… …   New thesaurus

  • hyperbole — ► NOUN ▪ deliberate exaggeration, not meant to be taken literally. DERIVATIVES hyperbolical adjective hyperbolically adverb. ORIGIN Greek huperbol excess , from ballein to throw …   English terms dictionary

  • hyperbole — [hī pʉr′bə lē] n. [L < Gr: see HYPERBOLA] exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally (Ex: He s as strong as an ox.) …   English World dictionary

  • hyperbole — (i per bo l ) s. f. 1°   Figure de rhétorique qui consiste à augmenter ou à diminuer excessivement la vérité des choses pour qu elle produise plus d impression. •   Parlons sans hyperbole et sans plaisanterie, DUCLOS Sat. X. •   Et bientôt vous… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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