"My neighborhood is so boring that when a cat walks across the street, it draws a crowd." And speaking of litotes (pronounced \LYE-tuh-teez\ ), that term is an approximate antonym of hyperbole. something that is improvised or extemporized. For example, “she’s as smart as a teacher” is also a simile, but maybe not a hyperbole. Examples of Hyperbole in Poetry and Literature Hyperbole is often used in poems and books because it helps to emphasize part of the story and evoke a response from the reader. American poet W.H. "-Dick Clark, Daytime Emmy Award Acceptance Address. Hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning “excess,” is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. Just be careful not to overdo the overstatement! 'Simile' and 'metaphor' are just the beginning. You wouldn't want to use it in nonfiction works, like reports or research papers, but it's perfect for creative writing and communication, especially when you want … If I can’t buy that perfect prom dress, I’ll die! But what are some examples of hyperbole? Hyperbole. Instead, the speaker is using hyperbole to emphasize just how embarrassed she’s going to feel. Although these days you might encounter hyperbole in a magazine at the doctor's office, the word's first use was technical. I haven’t seen Jamien in ages. In adjective form, the term is hyperbolic. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Like the romantic poets that came before him, Sam Smith uses hyperbole to emphasize the strength and depth of his love in “Latch”. Here, hyperbole is used to emphasize how long it feels since you last saw your friend. While hyperbole is exaggeration, metaphor is using one thing to represent something very different. Hyperbole is often used in day-to-day speech. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know what languages these words come from? Humor writer Dave Barry certainly uses it with flair: It's everywhere in comedy, from stand-up routines to sitcoms, used to tickle the audience's funny bone by putting a surprising image into people's imagination. The macron tells us that the vowel is pronounced like \ee\ . an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”, a deliberate exaggeration used for effect. division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties. When will China and Africa meet? Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? Also, limiting its use makes each hyperbolic description in the piece more effective. One place where you’ll see hyperbole is in commercials and advertisements. Another example is when he said: “Not even a hair of your heads will perish.” He was obviously not saying that every hair of each of his disciples would be preserved. It is the opposite of understatement. The concept is also called overstatement. Send us feedback. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Most likely, the average iPad user does not have such high-flying plans for their iPad. She’s so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company. It is hyperbole to say, “I'd give my whole fortune for a bowl of bean soup.”. 2. Instead it's two syllables: \buh-lee\ . How can a river jump over a mountain? Example 1. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? It begins with the prefix hyper-, which we know in words like hyperlink (and in the adjective hyper itself), but instead of having the accent, or emphasis, on the first syllable—HYE-per-link—it has the accent on the second syllable: hye-PER-buh-lee. It should sound just like the word bowl, right? Metaphor and hyperbole are similar in that both say something literally which is meant to be taken figuratively. And, while you’re at it, enjoy some Examples of Hyperbole in Literature. I was quaking from head to foot and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.". The word hyperbole is derived from the greek word ‘huperbole’ meaning “to throw above.” These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hyperbole.' Of course this isn’t literally true, but it emphasize just how strong this breath mint is. Of course, this does not mean that the suitcase literally weighed a ton. Examples of hyperboles in advertising include: Remember, hyperbole is over the top and not meant to be taken literally. Someone who is called a black sheep must be different from other family members in some way and may not be accepted by family members for that reason. Did You Know? This description implies that the mints are so strong that they need to be contained in a metal box rather than paper or plastic packaging. Finke, who regularly breaks showbiz news, is the master of hyperbole. For example, it is more interesting to say “she had a brain the size of planet” than “she was really smart.”  It is always better to describe something in an original way and hyperbole is a great opportunity to inject feeling and humor into a description. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. Hyperbole is also often used in creative writing just to make a description more amusing or creative. Good advertisers use good hyperbole. Delivered to your inbox! Instead it's two syllables: \buh-lee\ . Dictionary.com Unabridged Are you excited yet? Hyperbole is a rhetorical and literary technique where an author or speaker intentionally uses exaggeration and overstatement for emphasis and effect. Hyperboles vs. Other Types of Figurative Language, Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples, How Figurative Language Is Used Every Day, Brief Introductions to Common Figures of Speech, Valentine's Day Language: Learning Idioms, Metaphors, and Similes, 5 Examples of How to Write a Good Descriptive Paragraph, Engage Kids With Songs That Can Teach Them About Metaphors, Using Similes and Metaphors to Enrich Our Writing (Part 1), Use Song Lyrics (with Caution) to Teach Figures of Speech, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. Delivered to your inbox! We often use hyperbole in everyday speech, but we also use it in prose and poetry. You could have knocked me over with a feather. What Is Hyperbole? Ten days is by no means an eternity, forever, but it felt like it. These examples of hyperbole are the bomb! 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Terms in this set (4) Hyperbole. Send us feedback. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! How to use hyperbole in a sentence. And then there's that bole. Auden writes in “As I Walked Out One Evening,”. “Hyperbole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole. … In literature, hyperbole will often be used to show contrast or catch the reader's attention. Hyperbole is a figure of speech. Hyperbole is common in love poetry, in which it is used to convey the lover’s intense admiration for his beloved.An example is the following passage describing Portia: Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match And on the wager lay two earthly women, W.H. Hyperbole definition: If someone uses hyperbole , they say or write things that make something sound much more... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples For example, “She is like a rose” is a simile which compares a woman to a rose (a beautiful flower), describing the woman as beautiful—or perhaps thorny. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. Hyperbole is a simple and straightforward technique that can be used to great effect by writers and speakers. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Press, 2003). there was a rabble-rousing Athenian, a politician named Hyperbolus, who often made exaggerated promises and claims that whipped people into a frenzy. We’re so poor we don’t have two cents to rub together. She is using hyperbole to claim that men prefer relationships that are difficult and dramatic. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). You wouldn’t want to use it in nonfiction works, like reports or research papers, but it’s perfect for creative writing and communication, especially when you want to add color to a character or humor to a story. Of course, none of these things will happen, so it implies that the author will love her forever. 15th century, in the meaning defined above, Latin, from Greek hyperbolē excess, hyperbole, hyperbola, from hyperballein to exceed, from hyper- + ballein to throw — more at devil, Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP. In a rhetorical context—meaning, in the context of persuasive speaking and writing—hyperbole is sometimes called auxesis while litotes goes by the name meiosis. Although these days you might encounter hyperbole in a magazine at the doctor's office, the word's first use was technical. The description you create needs to bring forth surprise or delight in your audience at the image portrayed by the comparison or description. You got me losing every breath. For another set of hyperboles, take a glance at Apple advertising: We know this isn’t possible. This collection … And speaking of litotes (pronounced \LYE-tuh-teez\ ), that term is an approximate antonym of hyperbole.

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