exaggerated

adjective

ex·​ag·​ger·​at·​ed ig-ˈza-jə-ˌrā-təd 

1

: excessively or inappropriately heightened, inflated, or overstated

exaggerated fears

a wildly exaggerated story

As students go from one disconnected course to the next, they tend to form a highly exaggerated idea of the differences between teachers and subjects.

—Gerald Graff

2

: enlarged or increased beyond the normal : greater than normal

… many people have an unusual or exaggerated response to a drug, but they are not necessarily allergic to the drug.

—Paul D. Buisseret

exaggeratedly adverb

… my own view of the art of architecture—a view that many people (including many architects) would perhaps consider an exaggeratedly lofty one.

—Brendan Gill

Koenig's movements were brisk, exaggeratedly optimistic.

—Nick Paumgarten

exaggeratedness noun

… we often do not respond to exaggeration by simply pointing out its exaggeratedness …

—Julie Kuhlken

Synonyms

• bloated
• hyperbolized
• inflated
• outsize
• outsized
• overblown
• overdrawn
• overweening

Examples of exaggerated in a Sentence

loves the exaggerated emotions that are part and parcel of grand opera

Recent Examples on the Web

But now many in the retail industry say that rumors of the mall’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024

Even beyond the idea that an actual curse has befallen Ruby — or has befallen everyone with the bad luck (or judgment?) to have hooked up with her — Laid operates in an exaggerated version of reality where genuine human emotion has to jostle for space with cartoon plot logic. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024

Both men are known for architecturally complex structures; exaggerated volumes; garments with emphatic lines; the use of new materials; monochromatic abstraction; monastic profiles, and a focus on anonymity, both in their designs and their approach to public exposure. —Miles Socha, WWD, 18 Dec. 2024

But the death of consoles has been greatly exaggerated for generations now, and if Xbox leaning this hard on the cloud and subscriptions is 20 years too early, what’s the point of doing this? —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of exaggerate

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1