Hyperbole
This article is about a figure of speech, not to be confused with the mathematical term hyperbola.:
Hype redirects here. For the popular urban music video director, see
Hype Williams.
Largely synonymous with
exaggeration and
overconsulting, hyperbole is a
figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated or extravagant. 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.
*"I nearly died laughing."
*"He is as big as a house!"
*"I heard that a million times."
*"She had a zit the size of Texas!"
*"That's the worst idea I've ever heard."
*"You are the ugliest person in the world!"
*"This is the worst film ever made."
*"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
*"Hyperbole is the worst thing in the world."
The
antonym to hyperbole is
understatement or
meiosis (figure of speech).
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.
A common mis-pronunciation is ("HY-per-bowl"). This was seen in action in the song "
These Words" by
Natasha Bedingfield. The correct pronunciation is phonetically said as ("hy-PER-buh-lee").
The modern slang term
hype, in its usage as meaning extravagant publicity, is derived from the word
hyperbole. An early example of the use of this slang term is in the 1988 song "
Don't Believe the Hype" by the hip hop group
Public Enemy.
*In
Latin:
manducare, which originally meant "to eat like the
greedy
comedy character Manducus", was used so often in
Vulgar Latin as slang for ordinary eating that it evolved into
French manger and
Italian mangiare, which merely mean "to eat".
*
Irony*
Metaphor*
Simile*
Quote whore*
Technology hype*
Zillion*
Media hype*
A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples
