Okuzeka
Literature vocabulary · Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Hyperbole

Meaning in literature, with examples

/haɪˈpɜːbəli/nounCommon term

In literature, hyperbole means: A figure of speech that uses deliberate, obvious exaggeration for emphasis or humor, as in 'I've told you a million times'.

In Turkish: abartma, mübalağa

How it is used

Common in poetry, comedy, satire and advertising. Critics say a writer uses hyperbole or that a line is hyperbolic. Love poetry is full of hyperbole, with lovers promising eternal devotion or claiming they cannot live without each other.

Example sentences

  1. The comic effect comes from hyperbole: the aunt's suitcase is 'as big as a house'.

  2. Is the poet's grief real, or is it just conventional hyperbole?

Common collocations

  • use hyperbole
  • comic hyperbole
  • an example of hyperbole
  • hyperbolic language
  • figure of speechA use of words in a non-literal or unusual way to create a special effect or meaning, such as a metaphor, simile, hyperbole or personification.
  • simileA figure of speech that compares two different things directly, usually with the words 'like' or 'as', for example 'as cold as ice'.
  • satireWriting that uses humor, irony and exaggeration to criticize or mock the foolishness or wrongdoing of people, institutions or society.
  • ironyA contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what actually happens, often used for humor or criticism.

More terms: Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: