Hyperbole
/haɪˈpɜːr.bə.li/noun
An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.
Did you know?Its Greek roots were used for both physical throwing and rhetorical overstatement, so the idea of “going beyond” was baked into the word from the start.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hyperbolḗ
“an exaggeration; literally a throwing beyond”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hyperbállein
“to throw beyond, throw over, overshoot”
Late Latin
Latin
hyperbole
“rhetorical exaggeration”
Middle French
French
hyperbole
“exaggeration in speech or writing”
16th Century
English
hyperbole
“deliberate exaggeration for effect”
Modern English
English
hyperbole
“an obvious overstatement used for emphasis”