exaggerate (v.)

1530s, "to pile up, accumulate," from Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare "heighten, amplify, magnify," literally "to heap, pile, load, fill," from ex, here probably "thoroughly" (see ex-), + aggerare "heap up, accumulate," figuratively "amplify, magnify," from agger (genitive aggeris) "heap," from aggerere "bring together, carry toward," from assimilated form of ad "to, toward" (see ad-) + gerere "carry" (see gest). Sense of "overstate" first recorded in English 1560s. Related: Exaggerated; exaggerating.

also from 1530s

Entries linking to exaggerate

gest (n.)

"famous deed, exploit," more commonly "story of great deeds, tale of adventure," c. 1300, from Old French geste, jeste "action, exploit, romance, history" (of celebrated people or actions), from Medieval Latin gesta "actions, exploits, deeds, achievements," noun use of neuter plural of Latin gestus, past participle of gerere "to carry on, wage, perform," which de Vaan says is considered to be from the same root as agere "to set in motion, drive forward, do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). Now only as a deliberate archaism. Jest (n.) is the same word, with a decayed sense.

exaggeration (n.)

"unreasonable or extravagant amplification," 1560s, from Latin exaggerationem (nominative exaggeratio) "elevation, exaltation" (figurative), noun of action from past-participle stem of exaggerare "amplify, magnify," literally "heap up" (see exaggerate).

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adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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magnify

late 14c., magnifien, "to speak or act for the glory or honor (of someone or something)," from Old French magnefiier "glorify, magnify," from Latin magnificare "esteem greatly, extol, make much of," from magnificus "great, elevated, noble," literally "doing great deeds," from mag

amplify

early 15c., "to enlarge, expand, increase," from Old French amplifier (15c.), from Latin amplificare "to enlarge," from amplus "large" (see ample) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). The meaning "augment in volume or amount" is from 1570s

overdo

Old English oferdon "to do too much, be excessive or immoderate, exceed the proper limit," also in late Old English transitive, "to do (something) to excess," from ofer (see over) + don (see do (v.)). A common Germanic formation (compare Old High German ubartuan). Meaning "to ove

fish-story

"incredible or extravagant narration," by 1819, U.S. colloquial, from the tendency to exaggerate the size of the catch (or...

caricature

18c.), from Italian caricatura "satirical picture; an exaggeration," literally "an overloading," from caricare "to load; exaggerate...

pessimism

As "tendency to exaggerate in thought the evils of life or to look only on the dark side," by 1815....

stretch

.; figurative sense of "to enlarge beyond proper limits, exaggerate," is from 1550s. Stretch limo first attested 1973....

tout

1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from Middle English tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of Old English totian "to stick out, peep, peer," from Proto-Germanic *tut- "project" (source also of Dutch tuit "sprout, snout," Middle Dutch tute "nipple, pap,

make

Old English macian "to give being to, give form or character to, bring into existence; construct, do, be the author of, produce; prepare, arrange, cause; behave, fare, transform," from West Germanic *makōjanan "to fashion, fit" (source also of Old Saxon makon, Old Frisian makia "

swash

1530s, expressing a blow or the fall of a heavy body, probably imitative. It also meant "pig-wash, filth, wet refuse" (1520s) and may have been imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects or a heavy blow on a yielding surface. The meaning "a body of splashing wa

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updated on October 13, 2021

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Dictionary entries near exaggerate

exacting

exaction

exactitude

exactly

exactness

exaggerate

exaggeration

exalt

exaltation

exam

examination