hyperbole

Largely synonymous with [|exaggeration] and **overstatement**, **hyperbole** (pronounced /haɪˈpɝbəli/ or "hy-PER-buh-lee") ("HY-per-bowl" is a mispronunciation) is a [|figure of speech] in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used due to strong feelings or is used to create a strong impression and is not meant to be taken literally. It gives greater [|emphasis]. It is often used in [|poetry] and is a [|literary device]. As well as a [|referendum]
 * Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration. Persons often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," "I was hopping mad," and "I tried a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.

[|Antonyms] to hyperbole include [|meiosis], [|litotes], and [|understatement]. In [|show business], hyperbole (known as **hype** or //media hype//) is the practice of spending money on [|public relations] in an attempt to bolster public interest in (for example) a movie, television show, or performing artist. Often the entertainment value of the thing being hyped is exaggerated. Consequently, hype (but not traditional, literate hyperbole) has a bad connotation. Derived from the [|Greek] ὑπερβολή (literally 'overshooting' or 'excess'), it is a cognate of //[|hyperbola]//
 * "He has a [|brain] the size of a pinhead."
 * "I could eat a [|horse]."
 * "I've heard that a billion and one times."
 * "She is one hundred feet tall."

Examples: I've told you a million times, clean your room. All you ever do all day is watch t.v. That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard.

"Hyperbole." __Harris Middle School__. Harris Middle School. 2 Apr 2007 <[|http://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/hyperbole.htm>.]

__Wikiversity__. Wikiversity. 2 Apr 2007 <[|http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Main_Page>.]

__Wkipedia The Free Encyclopedia__. Wikipedia. 2 Apr 2007 <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>.]