| Revision as of 16:41, 26 May 2010 edit12.7.202.2 (talk) Undid revision 364190865 by Tbhotch who doesn't understand that "point of view" is what hyperbole is all about.← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:28, 26 May 2010 edit undo68.25.103.189 (talk) revert to User:NeilN and User:TbhotchNext edit → | ||
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| {{About|the term used in rhetoric|the mathematical term|Hyperbola}} | {{About|the term used in rhetoric|the mathematical term|Hyperbola}} | ||
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| * She ran ''faster than a bullet''. (She ran fast.) | * She ran ''faster than a bullet''. (She ran fast.) | ||
| * I'm so hungry I could ''eat a horse''. (I am very hungry.) | * I'm so hungry I could ''eat a horse''. (I am very hungry.) | ||
| * (Hyperbole, by its very nature, produces a distorted view for effect, the more distorted, the more effective:) No, ] should not resign. He should remain in charge of the whole rotten edifice – the whole profiteering, woman-fearing, guilt-gorging, truth-hating, child-raping institution – while it tumbles, amid a stench of incense and a rain of tourist-kitsch sacred hearts and preposterously crowned virgins, about his ears. - ] (The ] is suffering such problems of public relations that the Pope's continued tenure cannot hurt it.)<ref>], , ], March 28th, 2010.</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 20:28, 26 May 2010
This article is about the term used in rhetoric. For the mathematical term, see Hyperbola. | Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Hyperbole (Template:PronEng, from ancient Greek Template:Polytonic 'exaggeration'), is a rhetorical device in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally.
Hyperboles are figures of speech that are exaggerated in order to create emphasis or effect. Hyperbole is a literary device often used in poetry, and is frequently encountered in casual speech. On occasion, newspapers and other media use hyperbole when speaking of an accident, to increase the impact of the story. This is more often found in tabloid newspapers, which often exaggerate accounts of events to appeal to a wider audience.
In rhetoric, some opposites of hyperbole are meiosis, litotes, understatement, and bathos (the 'letdown' after a hyperbole in a phrase).
Examples
 | This section may contain excessive or irrelevant examples. Please help improve the article by adding descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples. (March 2010) |
Some examples of the use of hyperbole include:
- These books weigh a ton. (These books are heavy.)
- The path went on forever. (The path was very long.)
- I'm doing a million things right now. (I'm busy.)
- I waited centuries for you. (I waited a long time for you.)
- She ran faster than a bullet. (She ran fast.)
- I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. (I am very hungry.)