Do you have friends or colleagues who like to embellish their stories? If you do, you might say that these people have a habit of overexaggerating. But maybe you’ve had someone stop you in your verbal tracks by telling you that overexaggerate isn’t a real word. Is this person right? Or is overexaggerate a word? We’re going to solve the mystery in this post.
Is overexaggerate a word in the dictionary?
If you’re trying to figure out whether you can call overexaggerate a word, you might decide to look it up in a dictionary. If you did that, what would you find? Is overexaggerate a word according to the dictionaries? It depends.
Some dictionaries do recognize overexaggerate as a word. For example, the Collins Dictionary has a dedicated entry for overexaggerate and defines it like this:
- “to exaggerate excessively”
And although the Merriam-Webster dictionary doesn’t have a dedicated entry for the word, it does include overexaggerate on its list of words that take the prefix over-.
But is overexaggerate a word according to all major dictionaries? No. The Oxford Dictionaries doesn’t recognize overexaggerate as a word. In fact, if you search for overexaggerate in this dictionary, you won’t find an entry for it.
Is overexaggerate a word you can use in a sentence?
Let’s assume that overexaggerate is a real word. After all, some dictionaries recognize it as one. Does this mean you can safely use it in a sentence? Well, it depends. (Sorry, we hate to have to give you this answer again!)
Some people say that you shouldn’t use overexaggerate in a sentence because the over- in overexaggerate is redundant with exaggerate. Words or parts of words are redundant when they repeat information that’s already provided by other words or parts of words in the sentence. Some people say that overexaggerate is redundant because exaggerate already conveys the idea of overdoing something or stretching the truth beyond the limits. For example, the Merriam Webster dictionary defines exaggerate like this:
- “to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth”
- “to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal”
So by adding over- to exaggerate, you end up saying that someone is overdoing the overstating. That’s why some people think overexaggerate doesn’t belong in sentences.
However, some people believe that overexaggerate is a word that’s okay to use in some cases. For example, if you expected someone to exaggerate something (e.g., your partner explaining to his parents why it would be a problem for them to stay with you for six weeks next summer), you might still want to be able to say that he or she overdid it (e.g., your partner made the problems seem so huge that they didn’t seem believable). In this case, saying that your partner exaggerated may not be enough to describe what really happened during the conversation. So using overexaggerate may be just what you need.
Summary
So what’s the deal? Is overexaggerate a word and can you use it in a sentence? Because some dictionaries think it isn’t a real word and many people think it’s redundant, we recommend using overexaggerate with caution.
If you really need to express that someone was expected to exaggerate but went overboard, overexaggerate may be okay to use. But if you can do without it, leave it out of your sentences. Like starting a sentence with and, so, or but, using overexaggerate may lead people to question your grammar skills. And although you shouldn’t have to write based on other people’s flawed or rigid grammar knowledge, sometimes it’s the smart thing to do.
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Is irregardless a real word? We answer your question in this post.
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Is overexaggerate a word? The answer might surprise you.
FAQs
“to exaggerate excessively”
Is it correct to say over exaggerated? ›
“Over-exaggerated” is a redundancy. If something is exaggerated, it's already overstressed.
What is the difference between exaggerate and overexaggerate? ›
The difference between the two is that exaggerate implies making something appear larger than it is, while overexaggerate implies making something appear much larger than it is. Overexaggeration typically involves taking something to the extreme, while exaggeration does not.
What is the meaning of over exaggerated? ›
Meaning of overexaggerate in English
to make something seem a lot larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: I'd say that she tends to overexaggerate rather than that she lies. You can't over-exaggerate the significance of the election result.
What is it called when you over exaggerate something? ›
Hyperbole is probably the one literary and rhetorical device on this list that most people have heard of. It's not just moderate exaggeration, but extreme exaggeration: being hungry enough to eat a horse, or so angry you will literally explode, or having to walk 40 miles uphill both ways to school every day.
Is overexaggerate a proper word? ›
Some dictionaries do recognize overexaggerate as a word. For example, the Collins Dictionary has a dedicated entry for overexaggerate and defines it like this: “to exaggerate excessively”
Is exaggerating the same as overreacting? ›
The many faces of exaggeration
Overreacting, catastrophizing, magnificating, maximizing, overplaying, overblowing… We have many words for exaggeration. However, all forms of exaggeration mostly fall under three categories. Cognitive distortions.
Is over exaggerating lying? ›
Psychologist Robert Feldman cites protecting self-esteem or maintaining social contacts as the reason people exaggerate (or in his words “lie”). However you cut it, exaggeration is playing with the truth. It's birthed out of insecurity, is deceptive and it damages the core of all relationships.
Is over exaggerating a thing? ›
Meaning of overexaggeration in English
a statement that suggests something is a lot larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: It's not an over-exaggeration to say that they are on the poverty line. Her account of the event was taken very seriously, as she is not known for overexaggeration.
When people over exaggerate? ›
They may exaggerate because they are looking for attention, they want to appear interesting, or they need others like them. Challenge the reasons behind the exaggeration by showing you already find them interesting and you already like them without their inflated stories.
If someone is hyperbolic, they tend to exaggerate things as being way bigger deals than they really are. Hyperbolic statements are tiny dogs with big barks: don't take them too seriously. Hyperbolic is an adjective that comes from the word hyperbole, which means an exaggerated claim.
What is a word to describe someone who exaggerates? ›
abstract distorted excessive extravagant fabricated false farfetched hyperbolic inflated magnified melodramatic overblown overwrought preposterous pretentious stylized unrealistic.
What do you call someone who exaggerates and lies? ›
Pathological liars often make up stories, even if that causes them harm. They may lose jobs and ruin relationships because of their lying. It isn't clear whether pathological liars understand that what they say isn't true. Some people believe the things they say, even when those things are clearly false.
What is a word for too exaggerated? ›
amplify, distort, emphasize, fabricate, falsify, heighten, inflate, magnify, misrepresent, overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overestimate.
What is a word for too much exaggerated? ›
out of proportion. out-and-out. outrageous. overkill. preposterous.
Is overexaggerate redundant? ›
Usage notes
Since exaggerate already denotes excess, overexaggerate is considered redundant and therefore proscribed by some authorities.
Is there such a thing as over exaggerated? ›
Meaning of overexaggeration in English
a statement that suggests something is a lot larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: It's not an over-exaggeration to say that they are on the poverty line. Her account of the event was taken very seriously, as she is not known for overexaggeration.
