What is a Hyperbole? According to the Greek word, the meaning of hyperbole is “excess”. It is one kind of figure of speech that uses to express extreme exaggeration and show emphasis on a particular point or subject. You can also say it is used for overcasting as well. We use it in our day to day English language, or you can say in our day to day or regular speaking. It is a rhetorical device.
Rhetorical construction can emotionally make a point with a lot of emphases. You can pronounce this word as high-per-bo-lee. It is a figurative language such as idioms, oxymoron, paradox and metaphors as well. In poetry, hyperbole is used to create a sharp point and make emphasis as well.
What is Hyperbole?
It is a rhetorical and literary technique. The author and speaker use this rhetorical device to make emphasis and use the exaggeration of a statement as well. Is it derived from the Greek word? Hyperbole’.
The meaning of this is ? to throw above’. It is a very much conventional literary device. It is also a popular figure of speech, and it will pop up in the sentences of story or poem as well. Apart from this, we also use this rhetoric device in our regular speaking.
Definition of Hyperbole
Hyperbole is like an extreme exaggeration to influence the emphasis on writing. Hyperboles are words with an embellishment that exaggerates some particular conditions to create focus. It is used to make something more dramatic. Is a rhetorical figure.
For example, if a speaker says that “it is the worst book in the world”, then the speaker does not want to say it literally. But the speaker is using the hyperbole to make emphasis on the statement.
Common examples of hyperbole
You should understand the differentiation between hyperbole, simile and metaphor. Yes, it makes the comparison like simile and metaphor. But apart from this, it is using as a humorous effect making by the over-statement. Here are some examples of it:
- She is as fat as an elephant- in this statement; the elephant is using here to emphasis the word fat.
- The suitcase weighs a ton.
- She is trying to solve a million issues these days.
- His grandfather is as old as the hills.
Here are some more examples:
- After a long day of walking, her feet were killing.
Here the speaker did not want to mean that the feet were actively causing the death behind her. But the speaker wanted to say that her feet ached due to the whole day walking. Here, the speaker uses the hyperbole to emphasis the statement. It is a colourful way to express the feeling of agony.
Use in an advertisement
It is imperative in the field of marketing. Marketing is one type of durable suitcase that can survive after falling from a high end. But in the advertisement, it is essential to use the figurative language limitedly. The customer makes the question about your credibility after seeing the use of over-statement. These are such as follows:
- Mirror-like shine (as in the shampoo advertisement).
- The best a man can get (as in the razor advertisement).
Hyperbole in everyday use
A simple conversation will get a life and become comic after using this rhetoric device. As you can see that the sentiment is not real, but it helps to stress on a particular point or subject.
- My mom has told me to clean my room a million times.
- It is so much cold, and I am seeing the polar bears wearing jackets and hats. I am so hungry now, and I can eat a horse.
- I have a million things to do tomorrow.
- She is as skinny as a toothpick.
How to use hyperbole correctly
Before using this, you should know its proper application. You should not use it in the formal writing such as a business letter, scientific report and an article for publication. It is a fanciful over-statement. You cannot use it in legal and official writing.
Humorous writing is very much complicated. So, you should check it twice or thrice before submitting it. In literature, it has a strong charisma. Poet-author and writer like Shakespeare used it tremendously in his writings. So, you need to handle hyperbole with care.
If you have questions or doubts about commonly confused words in grammar, read our articles such as Its vs It’s.