exaggerate

UK: /ɪgˈzædʒəreɪt/ US: /ɪgˈzædʒəˌreɪt/ ,(ig zaj′ə rāt′)

Inflections of 'exaggerate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

exaggerates

v 3rd person singular

exaggerating

v pres p

exaggerated

v past

exaggerated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•ag•ger•ate /ɪgˈzædʒəˌreɪt/   v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to magnify (something) beyond the limits of truth; overstate: [ ~ + obj]:
   to exaggerate the difficulties of a situation.
   [no object]
   I think you are exaggerating when you say he is as tall as a tree.

ex•ag•ger•a•tion /ɪgˌzædʒəˈreɪʃən/  n. [countable* uncountable] See -ag-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•ag•ger•ate  (ig zaj′ə rāt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to magnify beyond the limits of truth;
   overstate;
   represent disproportionately:
   to exaggerate the difficulties of a situation.
2. to increase or enlarge abnormally:
   Those shoes exaggerate the size of my feet.

v.i. 

3. to employ exaggeration, as in speech or writing:
   a person who is always exaggerating.

• Latin exaggerātus (past participle of exaggerāre heap up), equivalent. to ex- ex-¹ + agger heap + -ātus -ate¹
• 1525–35

ex•ag′ger•at′ing•ly, adv. 
ex•ag′ger•a′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. embellish, amplify, embroider.
• 2. inflate.

Antonyms

• 1. minimize.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

exaggerate / ɪɡˈzædʒəˌreɪt/ verb

1. to regard or represent as larger or greater, more important or more successful, etc, than is true
2. (transitive) to make greater, more noticeable, etc, than usual: his new clothes exaggerated his awkwardness

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin exaggerāre to magnify, from aggerāre to heap, from agger heap

exˈaggerˌatingly adverb

exˌaggerˈation noun

exˈaggerative, exˈaggeratory adjective

exˈaggerˌator noun