[ex.ag.ger.ate] vb -at.ed ; -at.ing [L exaggeratus, pp. of exaggerare, lit., to heap up, fr. ex- + agger heap, fr. aggerere to carry toward, fr. ad- + gerere to carry] vt (ca. 1587) 1: to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth: overstate "a friend ~s a man's virtues --Joseph Addison"
2: to enlarge or increase esp. beyond the normal: overemphasize ~ vi: to make an overstatement -- ex.ag.ger.at.ed.ly adv -- ex.ag.ger.at.ed.ness n -- ex.ag.ger.a.tion n -- ex.ag.ger.a.tive adj -- ex.ag.ger.a.tor n -- ex.ag.ger.a.to.ry adj