What is exaggeration?

Exaggeration is when you make something way bigger or more intense than it actually is.

Imagine you're telling a story about your day at the park. You say, "I ran so fast, I could’ve caught a train!" But really, you just sprinted for a few seconds. That’s exaggeration, you made your running sound super amazing, like it was something only superheroes could do.

Think of a cookie. If you say, "This cookie is the size of a whole cake!" when it's just a little bigger than usual, that's exaggeration too. You're making the cookie look way bigger than it really is, like it’s almost as big as something you eat on special occasions.

People use exaggeration to make stories more fun or to show how they feel. If you say, "I was so hungry, I could’ve eaten a horse!" your friend might laugh, but that’s because it’s funny and shows just how hungry you were!