Example of the word hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that helps you create a heightened effect through exaggeration. Hyperbole can be considered as an exaggerated or overstated statement that adds emphasis to a sentence or line. Hyperbole can be used to produce ironic, serious, or comic effects.

The use of hyperbole is most apt in satires. The use of hyperbole in satire makes ideas, events, or persons larger than life or lesser than life with its exaggeration. Some of the closest synonyms that can be associated with hyperbole include: overplaying, exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, excess, overkill, or puffery.

• Origin of the Word Hyperbole
• Hyperbole Examples in Literature
• Hyperbole Examples in Movies
• Hyperbole and Overstatement
• Hyperbole vs Simile and Metaphor
• Significance of Using Hyperbole
• How to write a Hyperbole?
• FAQs on Hyperbole

Origin of the Word Hyperbole

The word hyperbole has its roots in the Greek word “huperbole” meaning to “throw above”.

Hyperbole Examples in Literature

More than a literary device, hyperbole is a technique that is used even in everyday conversation. Given below is a list of everyday usage of hyperbole:

• She’s got tons of cash
• The car was faster than lightning
• I am going to die of embarrassment.
• He is so hungry that he can eat a horse
• The bag weighs a ton.
• She is as bright as the sun.

Hyperbole Examples in Movies

Today, even movies make use of the figure of speech, hyperbole. Given below are a few hyperboles used in famous movies:

• To infinity and beyond! (Toy Story)
• I’m the king of the world! (Titanic)
• As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again (Gone with the Wind)

Hyperbole and Overstatement

Even though the terms hyperbole and overstatement are used interchangeably, there exist subtle differences between them. A hyperbole like an overstatement is an exaggeration, but its effect is often more excessive than an overstatement. However, both of these can be considered literary devices.

Hyperbole vs Simile and Metaphor

Like Simile and Metaphor, hyperbole is not a figure of speech used for comparison. On the other hand, hyperbole is an extravagant overstatement not meant to be taken literally.

Significance of Using Hyperbole

Hyperbole is used commonly for the following reasons:

• To emphasize a certain characteristic of something
• To emphasize emotions or feelings
• To make a description creative.
• To inject humor or irony into the context.

How to write a Hyperbole?

Now that you are already familiar with what hyperbole is and various examples, using them becomes pretty much simple.

• Decide on what is that you want to describe
• Think of any quality of the thing that you intend to describe and exaggerate
• Now directly from for a creatively exaggerated way to describe that.

See More:

• Anaphora
• Symbolism

FAQs on Hyperbole

1. What is Hyperbole?

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that creates a heightened effect through exaggeration. Hyperbole can be considered as an exaggerated or overstated statement that adds emphasis to a sentence or line.

2. What are some of the common examples of hyperbole?

Some examples of hyperbole include:

• The bag weighs a ton.
• I am so tired that I can sleep for a month
• She’s got tons of cash
• The car was faster than lightning

3. What are the benefits of using hyperbole?

The benefits of using hyperbole include

• It helps to emphasize a certain characteristic of something or emotions or feelings.
• Hyperbole also makes a description creative and injects humor or irony into the context.

Conclusion

Hyperbole is one of the simplest techniques by which you can make your writings unique and creative. The use of hyperbole helps you to emphasize the main idea you intend to convey. If used appropriately, a hyperbole’s effect is large and impactful, thereby drawing the attention of the reader. However, be careful not to overdo the overstatement!

Do you need some hyperbole examples to add to your stock of writing skills?

Are you ready to add excitement and drama to your work?

You can use hyperbole in various ways to make your writing have a bigger impact on readers.

It’s an excellent approach for adding emphasis when no single words are strong enough to evoke the feeling you want your readers to experience.

But if you’re uncertain which hyperboles will add pizazz to your prose, having some examples might get your creative juices a-flowin’!

With our list of hyperbole examples, your next writing piece will be the best piece of writing ever! (See what I did there?)

Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?

Hyperbole Definition

Hyperbole is figurative language or a literary device that uses deliberate and extreme exaggeration to create a strong emotional response from the reader, emphasize a statement, or add a sense of drama.

For example, you might say I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

You couldn’t literally eat an entire horse. Still, you want to emphasize how hungry you are and how enormous your appetite is.

Why Use Hyperbole?

There are many reasons a writer might use hyperbole in their work:

• You could use hyperbole to exaggerate a point.
• You might want to emphasize something about an event, person, or situation.
• You might use it as a rhetorical device to persuade readers to the narrator’s point of view with a more compelling argument.

For example, That copywriting course is the best thing ever to happen to copywriters everywhere.

I mean, the course might be good, but for it to be the best thing ever for copywriters everywhere is hyperbole.

You can also use hyperbole to:

• Make or emphasize a point
• Show contrast between two ideas
• Grab the reader’s attention
• Set the scene for the story
• Add interest to an otherwise bland description
• Add humor to the situation

You do need to be careful not to overuse it in your writing. Hyperbole will lose its effect if everything is hyperbolic.

Examples of Hyperbole from Everyday Speech

We often use hyperbole in everyday speech to make things more dramatic than they really are. Sometimes it’s to be humorous, but occasionally it’s to target other powerful emotions.

Here are a few common examples of hyperbole you’ll find in everyday conversation. How many times have you used any of the following hyperbolic statements?

1. I’m dying of laughter.
2. This box weighs a ton.
3. I haven’t seen him in a million years.
4. Our neighbor is older than dirt.
5. This was the best day ever.
6. I waited in line at the pharmacy forever.
7. She thought she would die of embarrassment.
8. My 16th birthday will never come.
9. This knee brace is killing me.
10. They’ve got more money than God.
11. I have a million things to do this week.
12. Their new house cost a gazillion dollars.
13. When we were younger, we were so poor we didn’t have two cents to rub together.
14. She has tons of makeup.
15. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.
16. He loves you more than life itself.
17. I’m so angry, I could eat a hat.
18. He was dying of thirst.
19. That baby is the cutest thing ever.
20. There was an ear-splitting shriek.
21. It’s so cold, you’ll get hypothermia the second you step outside.
22. I’m addicted to buying books.
23. I’ve been buried under a mountain of editing.
24. That is the worst thing I’ve ever heard.
25. The chocolate cake was the best cake ever.
26. This assignment is going to be the death of me.

Examples of Hyperbole from Literature

Writers use hyperbole in literature to emphasize character traits or story themes.

But more important, hyperbole grabs the reader’s attention and pulls them into the story.

Let’s dive into some examples.

27. Old Times on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.

Obviously, it was an exaggeration to say the narrator’s eyes stuck out that far, but Twain wanted to emphasize the speaker’s fear and shock.

28. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I had to wait in the station for ten days—an eternity.

While we are all familiar with the difficulty of waiting, we also know that waiting for ten days isn’t an eternity, even if it feels like it in the moment.

29. A Man May Tear a Jewel by Bhartrihari

A man may tear a jewel

From a sea monster’s jaws,

Cross a tumultuous sea

Of raging tides,

Or twine garlandwiseA wrathful serpent on his head.

But no man can alter

The thoughts of an obstinate fool.

Bhartrihari wants us to understand how difficult it is to convince someone they are wrong. He says it would be easier to wrestle a sea monster for a jewel or wrap a snake around your head.

30. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

There was a firestorm out there. Dresden was one big flame. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn.

Here Vonnegut uses hyperbole to show the readers how intense and horrifying it was in Dresden right after the World War II bombing.

31. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No. This hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Shakespeare uses hyperbole to show how shameful and revolted Macbeth feels after killing King Duncan. He says his hands are so red with blood that washing them in the sea would turn the sea red.

32. As I Walked Out One Evening by W.H. Auden

I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

And the river jumps over the mountain,

And the salmon sing in the street.

Auden uses hyperbole to show us his love is so profound, so great that rivers will jump over mountains.

33. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Molasses buckets appeared from nowhere, and the ceiling danced with metallic light.

Harper Lee uses hyperbole to show how the buckets seemed to appear from thin air.

Examples of Hyperbole from Film & TV

Hyperbole in movies and tv makes for memorable lines we quote repeatedly. How many of these lines from film have you used in your life?

34. Toy Story

To infinity and beyond!

35. Elf

You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee. Great job, everybody.

36. A Christmas Story

(Ralphie) I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! 

(Mother Parker) No. [You’ll] Shoot your eye out.

37. Love Story

Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

38. Despicable Me

A unicorn! He’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!

39. 101 Dalmatians

I’m hungry, Mother, I’m hungry…I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!

40. The Sandlot

(Ham) You want a s’more? (Smalls) I haven’t had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?

(Ham) You’re killin’ me, Smalls!

41. Beauty and the Beast

When I was a lad, I ate 4 dozen eggs every morning to help me get large. And now that I’m grown, I eat 5 dozen eggs, so I’m roughly the size of a barge.

42. From The Princess Bride

You mocked me once. Never do it again! I died that day! You can die, too, for all I care!

43. Titanic

I’m king of the world!

44. Gone With the Wind

As God is my witness, I’ll never go hungry again.

45. Old Spice Advertising

Remember those wild Old Spice commercials with fast-moving and over-the-top imagery that kept you glued to the TV and hanging on to every word?

Like this one:

This is by design.

You see, visual hyperbole in advertising is crazy-effective at gaining our attention and showcasing product features and benefits, at least that’s what the science says.

Not only does visual hyperbole make the ad entertaining, but the humorous effect leaves a strong impression that helps you remember the product too.

Talk about a win-win.

Examples of Hyperbole from Songs

Hyperbole helps songwriters paint a vivid picture for the listener. Here are some examples you might find familiar.

46. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

But I would walk five hundred miles

And I would walk five hundred more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door

47. I’d Lie for You (And That’s the Truth) by Meatloaf

I’d lie for you, and that’s the truth.

Do anything you ask me to

I’d even sell my soul for you

I’d do it all for you

If you just believe in me.

48. Grenade by Bruno Mars

I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

You know I’d do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

49. Blank Space by Taylor Swift:

Boys only want love if it’s torture

Don’t say I didn’t say, I didn’t warn ya

50. It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls

It’s raining men, hallelujah

It’s raining men, every specimen

Tall, blonde, dark, and lean

Rough and tough and strong and mean

51. So Happy I Could Die by Lady Gaga

Happy in the club, with a bottle of red wineStars in our eyes ’cause we’re having a good time

Eh-eh, eh-eh

So happy I could die

52. Cry Me a River by Ella Fitzgerald

Now you say you’re lonely

You cried the long night through

Well, you can cry me a river

Cry me a river

I cried a river over you

53. Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

54. Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks

I’ve got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns

And the beer chases my blues away

And I’ll be okay

Related Terms

Hyperbole is sometimes confused with similes, metaphors, or idioms.

Simile and metaphor are literary terms used for comparisons, idioms are unique expressions, and hyperbole uses dramatic exaggeration to make a point.

Hyperbole vs. Simile

A simile uses the words like or as to make a comparison, but the comparison lacks the exaggeration of hyperbole.

Let’s look at the following simile.

Her smile was as bright as the sun. 

It’s a bit of an exaggeration as nothing is as bright as the sun. But the point is made that she has a bright, engaging smile. And it’s not an unexpected comparison.

Now, look at a similar sentence using hyperbole.

That smile could move mountains. (Kylie Scott)

Now that is an exaggerated, attention-grabbing statement of hyperbole. After all, while one’s smile might be dazzling, it’s never going to move mountains.

Hyperbole vs. Metaphor

The difference between hyperbole and a metaphor is subtle but significant.

Hyperbole uses exaggeration to describe something, while metaphors use one thing to represent something else.

For example, if I were to say, It’s the North Pole out there, you’d know that I’m comparing how cold it is outdoors to the frigid temperatures of the North Pole.

Now consider this tale from Paul Bunyan.

Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue.

Paul uses deliberate and comedic exaggeration to describe just how cold that winter was.

Hyperbole vs. Idiom

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is unclear based on the words used.

For example, if you say, I’m going to hit the sack, most people will know that you aren’t literally beating up cloth bags. They understand that it’s an expression meaning you are going to bed.

On the other hand, hyperbole is an exaggeration used to emphasize a point. For example, I’m so tired I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open. We all know it to be an exaggerated statement calling attention to how tired you are.

Are You Ready to Use These Hyperbole Examples In Your Writing?

These hyperbole examples are an excellent resource for your creative writing endeavors.

The next time you need to add a flashy or gripping element to your story, you can turn to hyperbole to reel your readers in and keep them hooked.

Whether you’re writing poetry or songs or the next Great American Novel, adding hyperbole to your work can make it the best thing since the invention of sliced bread.

Which hyperbole will you use first?

Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, “It’s been ages since I last saw you.” You may not have met him for three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.

Common Examples of Hyperbole

• My grandmother is as old as the hills.
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!
• She is as heavy as an elephant!
• I am dying of shame.
• I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison, like simile and metaphor. Rather, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by an overstatement. Let us see some examples from Classical English literature in which hyperbole was used successfully.

Short Examples of Hyperbole

1. A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar’s back when he received the alms.
2. He saw a man as tall a power poll.
3. He saw his childhood friend after ages.
4. The weather was so hot that literally everything was on fire.
5. The boy was dying to get a new school bag.
6. The teacher told his students not to repeat that mistake for the umpteenth time, but to no avail.
7. He was in such a hurry that he drove his car at a bazillion miles per hour.
8. The minister told the guests that the couple’s friendship was deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey.
9. The blacksmith’s hand was harder than the rock.
10. Their headmaster was omnipresent, as he seemed to be all around the school all the time.
11. The businessman was so busy that he was attending to a million calls simultaneously.
12. The old man was older than the Himalayas.
13. The mule is able to lift tons of weight uphill.
14. His classmates laughed at him, saying he had a pea-sized brain.
15. John was called the elephant of the class for his clumsiness.

Hyperbole Examples in Literature

Example #1: Babe the Blue Ox (American Folklore)

In American folk lore, Paul Bunyan’s stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates winter by saying:

“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.”

Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter, and then warming them up in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole, which has been effectively used in this short excerpt from an American folktale.

Example #2: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)

From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act II, Scene II:

“Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.”

Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He regrets his sin, and believes that even the oceans of the greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood of the king off his hands. We can see the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines.

Example #3: As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden)

“I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry.”

The use of hyperbole can be seen in the above lines in the meeting of China and Africa, the jumping of the river over the mountain, the singing of salmon in the street, and the ocean being folded and hung up to dry are exaggerations, not possible in real life.

Example #4: The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid)

“He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills …”

The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole.

Example #5: The Heart of Darkness (By Joseph Conrad)

“I had to wait in the station for ten days – an eternity.”

The act of waiting ten days seemed to last forever and never end.

Example #6: Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room (By William Blake)

“Ah, William, we’re weary of weather,”
Said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
“Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?”
They arranged themselves at the window
And counted the steps of the sun,
And they both took root in the carpet
Where the topaz tortoises run.

This is a poem by William Blake in which he uses exaggerated personification of sunflowers, which is akin to hyperbole.

Example #7: A Red, Red Rose (By Robert Burns)

“As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.”

The poet Robert Burns gives many examples of hyperbole in this piece. The poet says that he would love his beloved until the seas are dried up, and the rocks are melted.

Function of Hyperbole

The above arguments make clear the use of hyperbole. In our daily conversation, we use hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasize our meaning. However, in literature it has very serious implications. By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet makes common human feelings remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary. In literature, usage of hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement, and the other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is employed to catch the reader’s attention.

Hyperboles are statements that are not meant to be taken literally and are used for emphasis, or extreme exaggeration, only. Hyperboles help to further the writer’s important themes or make a specific impact on a reader. They are used as figures of speech in literature and can transform the way a reader takes in and processes a word, phrase, or an entire passage of writing. It’s easy to use the device humorously in order to make the reader laugh or to use it seriously in order to stress something dramatic.

Hyperbole Definition

The word “hyperbole” originates from the Ancient Greek ‘huperbolḗ’. It is a device present in rhetoric, oratory, and poetry.

The former, rhetoric, is the art of persuasion that studies the capacity of a writer or speaker to persuade/motivate audiences. In this context, hyperbole is sometimes seen in definitions along with the word “auxesis,” meaning “growth.” This word is connected to rhetorical analysis and can refer to a number of different ways of growing an argument; for example, a hyperbolic statement, a climax, or a repetition of arguments, known as amplification.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

A Character by William Wordsworth

Let’s consider William Wordsworth’s ‘A Character.’ This five-stanza poem speaks on the moral character of a segment of mankind in relation to the feelings a speaker has for the intended listener. Towards the end of the poem, after using several other poetic techniques, Wordsworth uses a hyperbolic statement in the third line of the last stanza:

This picture from nature may seem to depart,

Yet the Man would at once run away with your heart;

And I for five centuries right gladly would be

Such an odd such a kind happy creature as he.

The phrase “And I for five centuries right gladly would be” is a clear hyperbolic expression. He suggests that he would be content for five hundred years if he could spend them with the intended listener of ‘A Character.’

Plenty by Isabel Dixon

Another more recent example can be found in Isabel Dixon’s ‘Plenty.’ This poem is eight stanzas long and describes the relationships a speaker had while she was a child and how she interprets them now that she is an adult. In the fourth stanza, while speaking about the passage of time in combination with a lack of basic household goods, she says:

Even the toilet paper counted,

and each month was weeks too long.

Her mouth a lid clamped hard on this.

The phrase, “each month was weeks too long” helps the reader understand how desperate the speaker felt. She channels her mother’s experience, tapping into the misery of months without money or proper nourishment for her children.

Television by Roald Dahl

One final example, in a very different piece of poetry, is ‘Television’ by Roald Dahl. This poem speaks on themes of childhood and entertainment. The poem describes in outrageous detail the dangers of television and what a parent can do to save their child. Dahl’s speaker uses hyperbolic statements to reflect on the dangers of watching too much TV. They range from a child’s brain-melting to losing the desire to understand the world. For example, lines thirty-one through thirty-three:

HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!

HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!

HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!

In combination with the capitalization of these lines, as well as the exclamation points, the hyperbolic expressions in ‘Television’ seek to convince a child’s parents not to let their kid watch TV.

Hyperbole in Common Speech

Sometimes hyperbolic statements are obvious and, when used, strike the listener as unusual. But, more often than not, hyperbole crops up in common speech without the speaker or listener noticing. For example, if someone says, “I could sleep for days” or “I’m starving.” These phrases, when analyzed, are obvious exaggerations of the truth. But, they are used in order to make a larger point. If someone said, “I could sleep for 8 hours” rather than “day,” the impact of the statement is greatly decreased.

Why Do Writers Use Hyperboles?

When it comes to the written word, hyperbole is pushed to its limit. With an artistic license, writers have crafted complex, baffling, and often amusing hyperbolic statements that are, more often than not, not meant to be taken seriously. It’s a rhetorical device, sometimes incorporating metaphors or similes, that helps the user make a point they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Literal language, which is drawn from reality without exaggeration or embellishment, wouldn’t be enough in these circumstances.

Context is of the utmost importance when using hyperbole. Depending on the setting and emotional landscape in a poem or a specific line of verse that takes place, hyperbole can come across quite differently. They can be, as stated above, used humorously in order to reiterate the strangeness of a situation, the actions of an unusual character, or an odd confluence of events. Hyperboles can also help to depict much darker scenes as well. Strong emotions, such as moments of distress, fear, and terror can be conveyed quite clearly through exaggerated statements that in other situations would not make sense or would seem overwrought.

• Archaism: a figure of speech in which a writer’s choice of word or phrase is purposefully old-fashioned.
• Attitude: refers to the tone a writer takes on whatever they are writing.
• Colloquial Diction: conversational in nature and can be seen through the use of informal words that represent a specific place or time.
• Euphemism: an indirect expression used to replace something that is deemed inappropriate or crude.

Other Resources

• Read: Examples of Hyperbole
• Watch: What is Hyperbole?
• Watch: Hyperboles in Disney Movies

Last Updated:
7 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

A hyperbole is a figure of speech that deliberately exaggerates a part of your statement to bring it under spotlight. They’re used mainly for emphasizing a point and highlighting difference between two things.

This post covers more than 100 examples of hyperbole categorized under increasing level of difficulty: beginner to advanced.

More resources on hyperbole:

• What is hyperbole and how to write it in step-by-step way?

While going through the examples that follow, pay attention to how the hyperbole exaggerates. My comments that go with examples are in square brackets.

Beginner-level hyperboles

Kids and other beginners can start with writing hyperboles that require absolute words such as most, best, worst, none, never, all, always, everything, and so on, which almost always exaggerate the situation. In the examples below, absolute words that make the sentence a hyperbole have been highlighted.

1. He is always on his mobile. [Comment: One can’t be always on phone.]

2. This is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard. [In rare case, it could be, but mostly it’ll be an exaggeration.]

3. He knows everything about Covid-19.

4. He never stopped complaining about his workplace.

5. There can’t be anything cuter than this cat.

6. This is the easiest exam in the world.

7. It’s the best day of my life.

8. This is the best restaurant in the world.

9. New York City never sleeps.

10. The two hours I spent watching that movie were the worst two hours of my life.

11. At one point, the longest ever tennis match, played between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, seemed that it would never end.

12. Novak Djokovic was invincible in Grand Slams in 2021.

13. You and Scully seem to have no meeting point, much like parallel lines.

14. Little Truman had a voice so high it could only be detected by a bat. Tennessee Williams on Truman Capote

15. Goodness is the only investment that never fails. Henry David Thoreau

16. A flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

17. A tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. Washington Irving

Such hyperboles can be written by stretching the attribute you want to hyperbolize to ridiculous level. Examples:

18. While making the omelette, I puffed it so much that it hit the ceiling. [Ordinarily, the omelette would’ve puffed few centimeters. You stretch this attribute to a ridiculous height.]

19. Kids are so overloaded these days. Just look at their bags; they weigh a ton. [Regular bags weigh in kilograms, but here the weight has been stretched to a ridiculous level, a ton.]

20. He has ice in his veins. [Coolness has been stretched to ice.]

21. He hit the ball so hard that it landed on moon.

22. She can pull off complex multiplications in a blink. [Anyone would normally take at least few minutes to pull off complex multiplications, but here the time taken has been stretched to just a blink.]

23. You speak so loudly. You can be heard from miles.

24. I’ve so much to study for the exam. It’ll take years to finish.

25. The AC’s cold blast froze my blood.

26. The car cost me millions.

27. We should be partners for the next seven lives.

28. The meeting went on for what seemed like an eternity.

29. The new rules are taking forever to complete.

30. I had to finally switch off the fan as it threatened to blow me away. [Blowing papers has been stretched to blowing a person.]

31. Your decrepit furniture seems to be from Jurassic era. [A decade or two has been stretched to millions of years.]

32. The child cried a river and drowned the place. [Tears have been stretched to a river.]

33. I tried golf thousand times, but in the end, I couldn’t learn it.

34. I was scared to death.

35. He stared through my soul.

36. My new shoes, little bit tight, are killing me. [Discomfort has been stretched to killing.]

37. Your gaming laptop seems to be worth its weight in gold.

38. I’m dead tired; I can sleep for days.

39. I called you thousand times yesterday, but because you didn’t pick up, I cancelled my plan.

40. I know every line of the novel; I’ve read it hundred times.

41. I could smell freshly-baked apple pie from miles.

42. I’m dying of hunger.

43. I searched every corner of the city to find you.

44. There are thousand reasons why our trains are rarely on time.

45. We’re meeting after ages.

46. I’ve walked thousand miles to meet you.

47. Come on, get up! Even a 5-year-old would. You aren’t hurt as bad as you think.

48. Quick! I’ve million other things to do.

49. I’ll die without you.

Advanced-level hyperboles

You can write advanced hyperboles by replacing the stretched attribute we saw in intermediate-level hyperboles with an unlike thing. The more striking and imaginative your unlike thing is, the better your hyperbole is. Examples:

50. There are more reasons to get vaccinated against Covid virus than the number of people who died because of the virus.

[An intermediate-level version of this hyperbole would be: There are thousand reasons to get vaccinated against Covid virus. The advanced-level hyperbole compares number of reasons with an unlike thing – number of people who died because of the virus – and requires bit more thinking than stretching 4-5 reasons to thousand. Note that the fundamental of stretching to a ridiculous level holds in advanced-level hyperboles as well.]

51. Your smile is more infectious than Covid virus. [Infectiousness of Covid virus is strikingly different from infectiousness of smile.]

52. He ran faster than cheetah to fetch wine from the nearby grocery store. [This isn’t a particularly good hyperbole because comparing a human runner with cheetah has been overused. In other words, comparison isn’t very striking.]

53. She is as lean as a toothpick. [This too has been overused, and hence it’s not a good one.]

54. You sneezed so loudly that the vase on the table shook.

55. You’ve the memory of a wild elephant.

56. Your smelly socks can kill a rat.

57. On hearing the result, I was motionless as a corpse.

58. He talks like a bullet train.

59. I would prefer Titanic to this helicopter. [This one is a paraphrase from the movie Mysterious Island. The helicopter looked well past its utility.]

60. Your mouth smells like the mouth of a carnivore.

61. The spot on your collar is as big as an island on Amazon.

62. The mole on your forearm is bigger than a saucer.

63. You can beat a photocopier at copying assignments in both speed and resemblance.

64. The manager then exploded like dozen hand grenades, giving piece of his mind to those present. [You could’ve also stretched the manager’s explosive outburst to a nuclear bomb or a volcano.]

65. She is so slim that she can pass through the eye of a needle.

66. You drive more recklessly than a man drunk on a bottle of whiskey.

67. Monkeys, which seem to be as abundant as salt in the sea, have been a menace in this town.

68. It’s difficult to get rid of cockroaches. They’re as many as stars in the galaxy.

69. I couldn’t eat the meal because it was as cold as an iron rod in freezing winter.

70. You’re as ageless as the redwood trees in California.

71. My phone rang with what seemed like police siren.

72. To be in time for the show, he drove faster than a Formula-1 race car.

73. The journalists fired rapid-fire questions at the Governor like a machine gun.

74. Your necklace sparkles brighter than the sun.

75. My school band was as famous as the Beatles in 60s.

76. The car has gotten so hot that I can make an omelette on the bonnet.

77. This smoothie is used oil compared to the smoothie you make.

78. He is like a grenade with the pin pulled, ready to go off any time.

79. I felt as lonely in the new city as Lystrosaurus felt more than 250 million years ago when almost everything died on the planet.

80. You leave a mile-wide trail of personal data on the internet for advertisers to exploit. [An intermediate-level version of this hyperbole would be: You leave a bazillion amount of personal data on the internet for advertisers to exploit.]

81. His song was so jarring that it shattered windowpanes. [A less striking hyperbole would be: His song was so jarring that everyone left the room.]

82. Surprise quiz in this course is as inevitable as death.

83. The food was so delicious that I almost ate my fingers.

84. Your expressions during the play were as animated as a suit on a hanger.

85. His voice was so melodious that we dozed off.

86. In these clothes, you’re looking like a monkey in dinner jacket.

87. His joke was as gross as a cockroach in soup.

88. During probation period, I felt like a bug under the microscope.

89. I felt as abandoned as a used Kleenex.

90. You’re such a chatterbox that even walls get tired listening to you. [A beginner-level version of this hyperbole would be: You’re such a chatterbox that no one wants to listen to you.]

91. The size of serving in your restaurant is like serving a mouse to a hungry lion.

92. You dance worse than popcorn in a machine.

93. The fun & frolic was as boisterous as the stormy sea.

94. It was so cold that even polar bears were shivering.

95. I nearly died laughing.

96. The leaping catch by the fielder took my breath away.

97. She was so mad that she was spitting fire.

98. Your handwriting seems to be the walk of an ant with its legs dipped in ink.

99. The commander’s shout to his unit shook the earth.

100. Your oversized skirt can be used as a tent.

101. It’s so hot here. I feel as if I’m in an oven.

Hyperbole Definition: A hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used in writing for effect.

What is the definition of hyperbole? A hyperbole is a type of figurative language. Therefore, a hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally. A hyperbole is an overstatement that exaggerates a particular condition for emphasis.

Example of Hyperbole

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

This example of hyperbole exaggerates the condition of hunger to emphasize that the subject of this sentence is, in fact, very hungry.

This person has no intention of literally eating a horse but is trying to figuratively communicate his hunger using a hyperbole for effect (see literally vs. figuratively).

Modern Examples of Hyperbole

Hyperboles are commonly used in writing, but they are also frequently used in everyday language. Some common hyperbole examples include:

• I’m dying of laughter.
  • The subject is not literally dying but is using hyperbole to figuratively communicate how hard he is laughing.
• This package weighs a ton.
  • The package does not literally weigh a ton. This sentence uses hyperbole to exaggerate the weight of the very heavy package.
• I haven’t seen Jamien in ages.
  • Ages have not literally past since the subject has seen Jamien. The subject is figuratively stating that he hasn’t seen Jamien in a very long time.

As you can see from these examples, the meaning of hyperbole is clear, and it is also clear that hyperbolic statements are not meant to be taken literally. They are hyperbolic by their very nature.

The Importance and Function of Hyperbole

Hyperboles are used in speech and writing for effect. The embellishment that a hyperbole creates brings particular attention to that thought or idea. Hyperboles are not meant to be taken literally, but stand out and create emphasis.

Hyperboles, however, should be used sparingly in writing and in speech. The reason being the intention is to bring attention to a particular concept. If hyperboles are overused, a “boy who cried wolf” situation occurs, and the hyperbole loses effect.

This is to say, if every sentence were a hyperbole, the audience would not take the writer or speaker seriously. They would be desensitized to all of the exaggerations.

However, when a hyperbole is used appropriately, its effect is purposeful and emphatic, causing the reader to pay attention to that particular point.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole in literature is used for emphasis or effect.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Mark Twain wrote in “Old Times on the Mississippi”:

• “I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.”

Here, Twain utilizes hyperbole to explain a state of being. In this excerpt, the speaker felt incredibly helpless and wracked with nerve. The speaker’s eyes were not literally sticking out, but Twain uses hyperbole to communicate just how helpless was the speaker’s state.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Paul Bunyan is a famous tale in American folklore. The tale itself is a hyperbole (from Bunyan’s extreme size to his magnificent blue ox). A specific example from this tale includes:

• “Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue.”

Clearly, none of these things actually occurred and this statement is not to be taken literally. Here, hyperbole is used for comedic effect and to communicate that the winter was a particularly cold one.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Josef Conrad’s Heart of Darkness utilizes a hyperbole to exaggerate time.

• “I had to wait in the station for ten days—an eternity.”

“Ten days” is not literally “an eternity.” However, for this character, ten days felt like an incredibly long time, as indicated through the hyperbole.

Summary

What is a hyperbole? Hyperboles are used throughout literature, poetry, and even in speech.

In summary, what does hyperbole mean? Hyperboles are,

• extreme exaggerations
• used for emphasis/effect
• figurative language
• used sparingly with purpose

Contents

• 1 What is Hyperbole?
• 2 Modern Examples of Hyperbole
• 3 The Importance and Function of Hyperbole
• 4 Examples of Hyperbole in Literature
• 5 Summary

Studying examples of hyperbole will help you better understand how and when to use this literary device.

The English language has many figures of speech that students can study as they learn to write well. Simile, metaphor and idioms are all examples of this. Hyperbole is yet another.

Hyperbole occurs when someone exaggerates what they are saying to emphasize a point. This type of exaggeration happens often in everyday conversation, and it also shows up in literary works and modern pop culture.

Studying examples of hyperbole will help you identify it and then choose if you are going to use it in your writing.

Best Grammar Checker

Grammarly

Grammarly is a top spelling, grammar and plagiarism checker. It’ll help you find and fix errors fast, and it works everywhere. It’s trusted by millions of writers for a reason.

Become a Writer Today is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Contents

• Before Studying Examples of Hyperbole, Define Your Terms
• Common Examples of Hyperbole
• Examples of Hyperbole in Literature
• Examples of Hyperbole in Pop Culture
• A Final Word on Examples of Hyperbole
• FAQs on Examples of Hyperbole
• Author

Before Studying Examples of Hyperbole, Define Your Terms

Before you can explore various examples of hyperbole, you must know what it is, specifically. 

The definition of hyperbole is the exaggeration of a phrase or statement to emphasize something. People usually know that hyperbole is not literal, but it makes a point stronger through overstatement. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word hyperbole comes from the Greek word hyperbolē. This means “excess,” which makes sense because that is exactly what the literary device is. You might also find our guide on the best euphemism examples for everyday use helpful.

Before looking at specific instances of this literary device in literature, first, take a look at these examples of hyperbole from everyday speech that you could add to your own creative writing. As you read them, consider how they exaggerate something to make a point and grab the reader’s attention:

1. After he lost weight, he was a toothpick

Clearly, he was not literally a toothpick.

2. Her brain was the size of a pea

Again, this cannot be literal 

3. I love you to the moon and back

That’s a pretty long way to love someone.

4. Cry me a river

No one can cry a “river” of tears.

5. I slept like a rock

Rocks cannot sleep.

6. It’s light as a feather

Very rarely would this be literal.

7. It’s a jungle out there

Unless you live in South America, that’s hyperbole.

8. They’re walking slower than a turtle

This one could be true, but usually, it’s an exaggeration. 

9. Superman was faster than a speeding bullet

Most likely, the speaker did not measure Superman’s speed to compare it to the bullet.

10. I could sleep a million years because I’m so tired 

Since that’s longer than the typical lifespan, this is hyperbole.

11. It cost an arm and a leg

Most people won’t sever a limb to pay for something.

In each of these examples, a strict interpretation of the English writing would not make sense, but the reader knows it’s hyperbole and thus gets the writer’s meaning.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Many famous literary works have hyperbole in them, both in poetry and fiction writing. Some of these include:

12. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 147

In this sonnet, Shakespeare uses hyperbole quite often. The poet describes his love and desire for his beloved but exaggerates the feelings by making it appear the writer is sick with love.

“My love is as a fever, longing still
For that which longer nurseth the disease,
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
Th’ uncertain sickly appetite to please.
My reason, the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescription are not kept,
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve
Desire is death, which physic did expect.
Past cure I am, now reason is past care,
And, frantic-mad with evermore unrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed.
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.”

William Shakespeare

No one who reads this poem really believes that Shakespeare is dying because of his love, which makes the hyperbole effective.

13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (0060935464)

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee has several uses of hyperbole. One of the first is her description of Maycomb, the town that is the story’s setting. She says:

“A black dog suffered on a summer’s day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning.”

Most likely, it would take more than one hour for a starched and ironed collar to droop. Thus, she is exaggerating just a bit to emphasize just how hot it was.

14. The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain (1515251829)

In The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Twain describes a man, Jim Smiley, who is willing to bet on anything. He places a bet that his pet frog could job higher than any other out there. 

When describing the extent Smiley would go to place a bet, Twain says:

“If there were two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first.” 

Though this could be true, in theory, it is an exaggeration that emphasizes how likely it would be for the man to bet.

Examples of Hyperbole in Pop Culture

Because this form of extreme exaggeration is so effective at grabbing attention, many instances pop up in modern culture. Here are some of them.

15. The Ballad of Davy Crocket by Thomas W. Blackburn

In this song, hyperbole is very consistent. You may hear it in this stanza:

“Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods, so he knew ev’ry tree
Kilt him a bear, when he was only three.”

Thomas W. Blackburn

Clearly, it would not be possible for Crockett to know every tree in the woods, so this is an example of hyperbole. Some of the other claims the song makes are probably hyperbole, but because it is a tall tale, they may be more possible.

16. Meow Mix Marketing Jingle

The Meow Mix marketing jingle features some cats singing “Meow” and then a narrator stating, “It tastes so good, cats ask for it by name.” This is not true because cats do not actually ask for a specific food. The hyperbole works, though, because it gets the thought of Meow Mix being a tasty food into the mind of the listener. 

17. Gillette Razor Marketing Jingle

Gillette uses the marketing jingle and tagline:

“Gillette, the best a man can get.”

This phrase is catchy because it rhymes and promises the world to the man who uses Gillette. However, most likely, they are not the world’s best razors, making this a type of figurative language.

A Final Word on Examples of Hyperbole

Exaggeration happens regularly in English writing and speaking. If you learn to identify hyperbole, you will better understand what a writer is saying. Like many literary elements, if you learn to use it well, you will create more powerful creative writing works. You might also be interested in these 5 subjunctive mood examples from famous works of literature.

Hyperbole works when the reader clearly knows that the statement is an exaggeration. By making the statement so absurd and far-fetched, you grab the reader’s attention and show them your true meaning.

FAQs on Examples of Hyperbole

What are some examples of hyperbole?

Here are some examples of hyperbole:
1. I searched the whole world before I found you.
2. The phone rang a thousand times, and you never answered.
3. Her bad breath could knock over a skyscraper.

Why should you use hyperbole?

Use hyperbole when you want to emphasize a point. Make sure that it stands out so the reader knows what you are doing. Avoid over-using hyperbole because it loses its effectiveness when you do.

Join over 15,000 writers today

Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing.

• 

  Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today’s online marketing world.

  View all posts