HYPERBOLE-Meaning and examples
A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that cannot be taken literally. It is an exaggerated way of describing something. And not just a modest or acceptable exaggeration of something, but an extreme exaggeration.
For example ‘ My neighbour is taller than a skyscraper’ ..
Such a statement would be highly exaggerated as no man can possibly be taller than a skyscraper, and not even as tall as one.
A hyperbole is a common literary device and is used in storytelling to make everything more interesting. It is a simple technique but can create a profound impact on the listener or the reader.
Here's another example
‘If I do not meet my brother tomorrow, I will die.’
And another one...
‘I am so angry with you that I will explode.’
Or
‘ The teacher was so wild that he could have killed someone.’
You might have heard this one …
‘I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse’
Or this one
‘I’m dying of hunger’
Or
‘My bag weighs a ton’.
I think many of us have used hyperbole without realizing what it is. Well, now you know that it has a name. Your hyperbolic speech can actually impress people and if you use a lot of good hyperbole, people will start calling you a remarkable hyperbolist.
If you noticed, I have used three different words right there...hyperbolic, hyperbole, and hyperbolist…
I just explained the meaning of the word ‘hyperbole.’
The adjective form of the word ‘hyperbole’ is ‘hyperbolic’
For example, you could say,
‘His hyperbolic speech is impressive.’
Who is a hyperbolist?
A hyperbolist is a person who uses hyperbole.
You could say
‘ He is a pathetic hyperbolist’, meaning that his hyperbole is not worth mentioning.
Or if someone is good at it, you could say,
‘He is a great hyperbolist’.
A hyperbole is very similar to a simile or a metaphor because those figures of speech also involve comparison of things. A simile compares two things using the words like or as, while a metaphor compares things without the use of like or as.
I have done an earlier lesson describing the differences between a smile and a metaphor in detail.
The reason I’m talking about a simile and a metaphor here, is because they can overlap with a hyperbole.
For example
My sister is as tall as a skyscraper.
This sentence is a simile as it compares ‘my sister’ to a ‘skyscraper’ with the word ‘as’. It is also a hyperbole because it is an exaggerated statement.
My sister could never be as tall as a skyscraper.
Here is another example of a simile overlapping with a hyperbole.
My grandfather is as old as the hills.
Notice that my grandfather’s age has been compared to that of the hills with the word ‘as’ so this is a simile. However, it is also an exaggerated statement so it is a hyperbole as well.
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