Examples of Exaggeration:
Hyperbole:
* "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" - Obviously, no one could eat a horse. This is an exaggeration to emphasize how hungry the speaker is.
* "I told you a million times to clean your room!" - The speaker likely didn't tell the other person a million times, but the exaggeration highlights their frustration and repetition.
* "My backpack weighs a ton!" - School backpacks are heavy, but they don't actually weigh a ton. This exaggerates the weight to express how burdensome it feels.
Figurative Language:
* "I'm so tired I could sleep for a week!" - The speaker isn't literally going to sleep for a week, but the exaggeration emphasizes their fatigue.
* "That movie was so boring, I thought I'd die!" - The movie wasn't actually life-threatening, but the exaggeration emphasizes how dull it was.
* "My heart is going to explode!" - This is a metaphorical exaggeration used to express strong emotions like excitement or nervousness.
Informal Speech:
* "I'm freezing my butt off!" - The speaker isn't literally freezing their behind, but the exaggeration emphasizes how cold they are.
* "I'm starving to death!" - The speaker is hungry, but they are not actually starving. This exaggeration is used to highlight their hunger.
* "I've got a million things to do!" - The speaker may have a lot to do, but likely not a million things. This exaggeration emphasizes the overwhelming workload.
Literary Examples:
* "The wind howled like a banshee." (From Irish folklore) - This is a simile that exaggerates the wind's intensity to create a vivid image.
* "He was so strong, he could lift a mountain!" - This is a hyperbole that exaggerates the character's strength to emphasize his incredible power.
* "Her tears were like rivers flowing down her cheeks." - This is a metaphor that exaggerates the volume of the tears to express her overwhelming sadness.
These are just a few examples of exaggeration. It's a common literary device used to emphasize a point, create humor, or add drama to a story.