Pronunciation: ig- ' za-j ə - ˌ r ā t
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -at · ed ; -at · ing
Etymology: Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare, literally, to heap up, from ex- + agger heap, from aggerere to carry toward, from ad- + gerere to carry
Date: 1613
transitive verb
1 : to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth : OVERSTATE <a friend exaggerate s a man's virtues ― Joseph Addison>
2 : to enlarge or increase especially beyond the normal : OVEREMPHASIZE
intransitive verb : to make an overstatement
– ex · ag · ger · at · ed · ly adverb
– ex · ag · ger · at · ed · ness noun
– ex · ag · ger · a · tion \ - ˌ za-j ə - ' r ā -sh ə n \ noun
– ex · ag · ger · a · tive \ - ' za-j ə - ˌ r ā -tiv, - ' zaj-r ə -, - ' za-j ə - \ adjective
– ex · ag · ger · a · tor \ - ' za-j ə - ˌ r ā -t ə r \ noun
– ex · ag · ger · a · to · ry \ - ' zaj-r ə - ˌ to ̇ r- ē , - ' za-j ə - \ adjective