Hyperbole

We use hyperbole /haɪˈpɜ:bəlɪ/ to exaggerate. We sometimes do this to emphasise something, to add humour or to gain attention. When we use hyperbole, we often make statements which are obviously untrue:

• We drove for hours without stopping and I nearly died of hunger.
• [two students talking about a university town]
• I have lived in Nottingham since I came here to study at the university. Been here for about a thousand years.

We often use hyperbole to stress a particular feature such as amount, size, shape and movement:

• I’ve got tons of homework to do.

• You have to wait for hours in that bank.

• Every car in America is at least ten times the size of ones in Europe.

• [A talks about unexpectedly discovering a special Sunday sale at a department store. The department store is called Woolworth’s.]

• A: There were millions of people in Woolworth’s.

• B: Really? On a Sunday!!

• There were millions of people in town on Saturday.