Hyperbole is a figure of speech that is used to emphasize ideas in a way that is absurd and/or ridiculous. Audiences understand when hyperbole is being used because the exaggeration is so dramatic and outlandish. Instead of confusion, hyperbole creates deeper understanding of complex human emotions and can create bonding between speakers and/or characters and readers. Show
Hyperbole is a figure of speech and literary device that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration. Hyperbole is often a boldly overstated or exaggerated claim or statement that adds emphasis without the intention of being literally true. In rhetoric and literature, hyperbole is often used for serious, comic, or ironic effects. For example, lyrics to The Ballad of Davy Crockett by Thomas W. Blackburn contain hyperbole:
The audience isn’t supposed to believe that this character truly knew “every tree” or that he literally killed a bear when he was “only three.” Instead, hyperbole is used to exaggerate Davy Crockett’s frontier experience and make him seem larger than life. Hyperbole is a frequently used literary device in tall tales, legends, and folk stories. The audience is aware that such claims are to emphasize the traits of the characters and not to be taken literally. Common Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday SpeechMany people use hyperbole as a figure of speech to make something seem larger or more important than it actually is. Such exaggeration or distortion can help express strong emotion, emphasize a point, or even evoke humor. Here are some common examples of hyperbole in everyday speech:
Examples of Hyperbole in AdvertisingMany advertising campaigns and slogans feature hyperbole as a way to attract customers to their products. Here are some examples of hyperbole in well-known advertisements:
Famous Examples of Hyperbole in Movie LinesHyperbole is effective in creating movie lines that are humorous and/or dramatic, which makes them memorable as well for the audience. Here are some famous examples of hyperbole in well-known movie lines:
Difference Between Hyperbole and OverstatementHyperbole and overstatement are often used interchangeably, and they can serve as synonyms for each other. However, overstatement and hyperbole have subtle differences in their use and intended effect. An overstatement is an exaggeration or a statement in excess of what most would consider reasonable. A hyperbole is also an exaggeration, yet it is often more extreme than an overstatement and its intended effect is as a literary or rhetorical device. Both overstatement and hyperbole are figures of speech and are not meant to be understood literally. Hyperbole, however, is utilized as a device in literature and rhetoric, not just a form of figurative language. Difference Between Metaphor and HyperboleMetaphor and hyperbole are commonly used literary devices. A writer uses metaphor to compare things with some other persons or things. At times, it is an unusual comparison. Sometimes it seems overstatement which is not meant normally. In the case of hyperbole, it is different because its usage is meant to exaggerate and not take the thing or idea literally. The statement that his words are music could be an overstatement but not always. Hence it is a metaphor. However, to say that his words are the greatest melody that was ever heard is an exaggeration and this is hyperbole, which is always meant to exaggerate things. Using Hyperbole in SatireAs hyperbole is meant to overstate and exaggerate things, it is also meant to bring humor. Therefore, using hyperbole in satire makes things or ideas or persons larger than life or lesser than life with exaggeration or even understatement. Satire also works on the same lines that it has two premises and the first one is based on a story with some overstatement and exaggeration such as Jonathan Swift does in Gulliver Travels. Use of Hyperbole in Sentences
Examples of Hyperbole in LiteratureHyperbole is effective as a literary device in many ways. By exaggerating something in an extreme way, whether it is a character’s traits, writer’s tone, theme, or idea, hyperbole can capture a reader’s attention. In addition, it can cause the reader to question a narrator’s reliability, reflect on the writer’s true intention, or provide a level of absurd humor for entertainment. Here are some examples of hyperbole in literature and its effect as a literary device: Example 1: A Modest Proposal (Jonathan Swift)
Swift’s satirical essay reflects his view of the oppressive policies and attitudes toward Ireland and the poor on the part of the British people and overall aristocracy in the early eighteenth century. This is one of the most famous hyperbolic passages in literature, as Swift suggests selling and using Irish children as a food source to relieve the economic plight of the Irish people. Of course, this “proposal” is a figure of speech and intended as an extreme exaggeration rather than a literal solution. However, the practical and almost casual tone with which Swift delivers his hyperbole is as shocking for readers as what he appears to be suggesting. As a literary and rhetorical device in the essay, hyperbole achieves a serious and ironic effect for the reader. Satirists often rely on hyperbole to emphasize a point and focus a reader’s attention on a socio-political or economic problem. Unfortunately, there were people in Swift’s time that made a literal interpretation of his modest proposal. This caused a backlash among certain members of the aristocracy due to their misunderstanding of his hyperbole. However, for a modern audience, rather than discounting Swift’s essay as something ridiculous, his hyperbolic proposal achieves its intended effect by causing the reader to reflect on the underlying problems that would result in such a dramatic literary essay–both in Swift’s time and today. Example 2: Sonnet 147 (William Shakespeare)
In this Shakespearean sonnet, the poet utilizes hyperbole as a literary device to describe his love and desire for his beloved. The poet exaggerates his feelings to the point of claiming that they make him ill and mad beyond cure. Shakespeare realizes that his audience understands that the poet does not literally mean what he is saying. However, the sentiment behind such hyperbole can be interpreted in two ways. First, readers can interpret the hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s method of describing the way infatuation and desire, especially if unrequited, rob people of their reason and logic. This passion and preoccupation can figuratively feel like illness or madness that grows exponentially and is without a cure. In this sense, the intended effect of hyperbole as a literary device would be relatively serious. Second, readers can interpret this hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s way of ironically expressing how people feel when infatuated or impassioned. In this case, Shakespeare would be satirizing such love and romantic poetry as well through hyperbole, emphasizing the significance of the final couplet. Example 3: The Foreigner (Larry Shue)
In Shue’s play, the character Catherine utilizes hyperbole to reveal to the audience her perception of her brother’s intelligence and ability. Such an extremely exaggerated statement not only indicates the witty humor of the playwright but also creates an absurd and memorable image for the audience. In this case, Shue’s hyperbolic dialogue is designed for comic effect and to showcase the personality traits of the characters onstage. Literary devices such as hyperbole are valuable in dramatic literary works that are meant to be performed for an audience. Hyperbole allows the playwright to emphasize aspects of certain characters and their relationship to each other. This enhances the audience’s understanding of the play and the writer’s intended meaning. Synonyms of HyperboleAs hyperbole is a literary device, no word conveys the same meanings. The following are the closest synonyms of Hyperbole: exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, overplaying, excess, overkill, or puffery. What is the effect of hyperbole in a poem?Hyperbole is effective when the audience understands that you are employing hyperbole. When using hyperbole, the intended effect isn't to deceive the reader, it's to emphasize the magnitude of something through exaggerated comparison.
What hyperbole is used in the poem?Following are some of examples of hyperbole: She is as heavy as an elephant! I waited for her for an eternity. I think she will die of shame.
How do you identify a hyperbole in a poem?Hyperbole is the use of over-exaggeration to create emphasis or humor. It's not intended to be taken literally. Rather, it's supposed to drive a point home and make the reader understand just how much the writer felt in that moment.
What is the effect of using hyperbole at the end of sentence in the text?The hyperbole is used to exaggerate a truth or point to place more emphasis on the clause or sentence.
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