1796 fashion caricature by Richard Newton parodying a woman's headdress using exaggeration.

Look up exaggeration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Exaggeration is the representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it really is. Exaggeration may occur intentionally or unintentionally.

Exaggeration can be a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression.

Amplifying achievements, obstacles and problems to seek attention is an everyday occurrence^[1] Inflating the difficulty of achieving a goal after attaining it, can be used to bolster self-esteem.^[2]

In the arts, exaggerations are used to create emphasis or effect. As a literary device, exaggerations is often used in poetry, and is frequently encountered in casual speech.^[3] Many times the usages of hyperbole describes something as better or worse than it really is. ^[4] An example of hyperbole is: "The bag weighed a ton."^[5] Hyperbole makes the point that the bag was very heavy, though it probably does not weigh a ton.^[6]

Exaggerating is also a type of deception,^[7] as well as a means of malingering – magnifying small injuries or discomforts as an excuse to avoid responsibilities.^[8]

In the arts

Mark Twain once wrote, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"^[9]

The exaggerator has been a familiar figure in Western culture since at least Aristotle's discussion of the alazon.^[10]

Expressionism

'"Expressionist art"...attempted to intensify the expression of feeling and attitude by exaggeration'.^[11] In its wake, even the 'new and hard realism...kept much of the distortion and exaggeration which had been one of the chief devices of earlier Expressionism'.^[12]

Tragedy

Although the boaster (alazon) is primarily a comic figure, 'the alazon may be one aspect of the tragic hero as well: the touch of miles gloriosus in Tamburlaine, even in Othello, is unmistakable, as is the touch of the obsessed philosopher in Faustus and Hamlet'.^[13]

Humour

'Some theoreticians of the comic consider exaggeration to be a universal comic device'.^[14] It may take different forms in different genres, but all rely on the fact that 'the easiest way to make things laughable is to exaggerate to the point of absurdity their salient traits'.^[15]

Caricature A caricature can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness: 'disproportionately increasing and emphasizing the defects of the features'.^[16] In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.^[17]

Slapstick Slapstick is the recourse to humor involving exaggerated physical activity which exceeds the boundaries of common sense.^[18][19][20] These exaggerated depictions are often found in cartoons, and light film comedies aimed at younger audiences.

Overacting

Overacting is the exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting. It may be unintentional, particularly in the case of a bad actor, or be required for the role. For the latter, it is commonly used in comical situations or to stress the evil characteristics of a villain. Since the perception of acting quality differs between people the extent of overacting can be subjective.

Animation Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons.^[21] The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of a specific artist. The classical definition of exaggeration, employed by Disney, was to remain true to reality, just presenting it in a wilder, more extreme form.^[22] Other forms of exaggeration can involve the supernatural or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character; or elements in the storyline itself.^[23] It is important to employ a certain level of restraint when using exaggeration. If a scene contains several elements, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or overawing the viewer.^[24]

Shock jock

A shock jock, a type of radio broadcaster or disc jockey, entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor and/or melodramatic exaggeration that some portion of the listening audience may find offensive.

In journalism

Schopenhauer saw exaggeration as essential to journalism.^[25] He may have exaggerated the case slightly, but yellow journalism thrived on exaggeration,^[26] and fact-checking and independent verification have not succeeded in suppressing clickbait or hyperbolic headlines.

In politics

During the election of 1800, surrogates of John Adams' political campaign warned voters that if Thomas Jefferson won the election, "murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will openly be taught and practiced."^[27]

Politicians can exaggerate.^[28]

In the electoral process one may expect exaggeration.^[29] Outside the electoral process the exaggerations of propaganda^[30] can bolster the position of incumbents.

In psychology

Individuals with the following mental health issues are often prone to make exaggerated representations:

• Factitious disorder/malingering,^[31]
• Substance related and addictive disorders
• Acute stress disorder,^[31]
• Post traumatic stress disorder,^[31]
• Avoidant personality disorder,^[31] and
• Narcissistic personality disorder.^[31]

Factitious disorder is when a person acts as if they have a physical or psychological illness. People with this disorder created the symptoms and are willing to undergo painful or risky tests to get sympathy and special attention.^[32]

Catastrophizing is exaggeration of hazards, threats, or bad outcomes.

In popular culture

• In 1969, The Monty Python Dirty Fork sketch demonstrates an absurd level of catastrophization where restaurant staff commit suicide and murder each other because of a customer complaint of a dirty fork. Compare with the scene in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail^[33] involving the Black Knight character which is the opposite extreme of absurdity (minimisation).^[34][33]