From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishexaggerationex‧ag‧ge‧ra‧tion /ɪɡˌzædʒəˈreɪʃən/ ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable] EXAGGERATEa statement or way of saying something that makes something seem better, larger etc than it really is OPP understatement It would be an exaggeration to say that we were close friends. It is no exaggeration to say that everyone will be affected by the new policy. The situation can be described, without exaggeration, as disastrous.slight/gross exaggeration That sounds like a slight exaggeration.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa great exaggeration (=by a large amount)To suggest that the company is facing bankruptcy is a great exaggeration.a gross exaggeration (=very great and untrue)The figures in this report are a gross exaggeration.a wild exaggeration (=an extreme exaggeration that is not at all realistic)He claims to be 120 years old, but that's is clearly a wild exaggeration.a slight exaggeration (=small)I think that saying the animals are almost extinct is a slight exaggeration.phrasesbe a bit of an exaggeration informal (=be a slight exaggeration)It's a bit of an exaggeration to say he's handsome.it's no exaggeration to say that ... (=used to emphasize that something is really true)It's no exaggeration to say that residents live in fear of the local gangs.without exaggeration (=telling the truth and not exaggerating)The men spoke without exaggeration about their ordeal.somebody is prone to exaggeration (=someone often exaggerates)At that age, children are prone to exaggeration.
Examples from the Corpus
exaggeration• It is an exaggeration to say that he earns more money than anyone I know, but he is certainly very well paid.• Jim's not fat exactly - that's an exaggeration. He's just a little overweight.• Among those literary wanderers of the day who sought a wide and appreciative audience, exaggeration was the fashion.• We now look at the gothic exaggeration and moody drama of Victorian landscapes and we learn of their romantic yearnings.• It would be a gross exaggeration to describe the film as a masterpiece, but it has some good moments.• My sense of proportion left me; my judgment took on the grotesque exaggerations of a cruel cartoon.• The estimate was exaggerated in proportion to the original exaggeration of the size of the fleet.• These exaggerations are offered to define the limits rather than to present accurate profiles, but they do highlight an educational dilemma.• Or is it packed with half-truths, exaggerations, and even lies?• How much of the story was exaggeration is impossible to say.no exaggeration• Non-sufferers regard incontinence as more handicapping than do sufferers, which suggests that these figures are no exaggeration.• It is no exaggeration to maintain that Nizan was weaned on death.• It is no exaggeration to say that the Bayeux speech established a new direction for postwar Gaullism.• It is no exaggeration to say that the Republican establishment detests McCain.• It is no exaggeration to say that these three introductions were of enormous importance to the future of the Army.• But the marital merry-go-round Chez Reeves is no exaggeration.• It s no exaggeration to say that at least 7 minutes were lost in 3 particular stoppages in the first half. 