Hyperbole is a figurative language technique where exaggeration is used to create a strong effect. With hyperbole, the notion of the speaker is greatly exaggerated to emphasize the point. The word hyperbole is actually composed of two root words: hyper which means “over,” and bole which means “to throw.” So, etymologically, hyperbole translates roughly to “over throw” or “to throw over.” True to its origins, hyperbole overstates a point or goes a bit too far.
Here are fifty examples of hyperbole:
- Charlie gazed hopelessly at the endless pile of bills stretching across the counter.
- That woman has no self-control.
- That was the easiest question in the world.
- Nothing can bother him.
- I can smell pizza from a mile away.
- I went home and made the biggest sandwich of all time.
- My dad is always working.
- Patty drank from a bottomless glass of Kool-Aid.
- Allie has a million pairs of shoes in her closet.
- Old Mr. Johnson has been teaching here since the Stone Age.
- Forget knocking it out of the park, Frank can knock a baseball off the continent.
- The lesson was taking forever.
- I’ve seen this movie at least 80,000 times.
- Vanessa never has anything interesting to say.
- These shoes are killing me.
- Shauna does everything for him.
- Christmas will never come.
- He walked down the road to nowhere.
- I’d rather French kiss a rattlesnake than miss a gym period.
- My dad knows everything about cars.
- Max is the fastest thing on two feet.
- Basketball is the only thing that ever mattered to him.
- Nothing can stop these guys.
- My mom is going to kill me.
- She can have any boy that she wants.
- Nobody can beat level six.
- You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Rita.
- The sight of them kissing is so gross that it makes me want to puke.
- We’ll be best friends forever.
- Now there is no star that is not perfumed with my fragrance.
- I will never say “never.”
- Chris won’t drive her home because she lives on the other side of the universe.
- The only thing that he ever wants to do is play that game.
- Once I get you in my arms, I’m never going to let you go.
- John always knows the right thing to say.
- Phoebe would be content anywhere.
- Nothing could ever go wrong with his plan.
- Pam was skinny enough to jump through a keyhole.
- Jasmine never forgets anything.
- Everyone knows that.
- Go to the park? That’s the best idea ever.
- I’d move mountains for her.
- Tanya never stops talking.
- I can’t do anything right.
- Janet worked her fingers to the bone.
- Jack was thirsty enough to drink a river dry.
- She is perfect in everyway.
- Your dad is the smartest guy in the world.
- We tried everything that we could.
- I could listen to that song on repeat forever.
Common Core State Standards Related to Hyperbole
View All CCSS Standards Related to HyperboleCCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 – Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
ELA Standards: Literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
ELA Standards: Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5a – Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5b – Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a – Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5b – Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
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Common Core Lesson and Unit Plans
Understanding Common Core State Standards
Tia
/ March 18, 2019Please help!
I have to type a one-page report containing two paragraphs answering the following questions:
*The figurative Saying (I chose hyperbole)
*A picture describing the saying
*The figurative meaning of the saying
*The literal meaning of the saying
Text-to-self connection
Text-to-text connection
Text-to-world connection
jabaloo
/ May 11, 2018give me examples of metaphors nowwwwwww
Mr. Morton
/ June 29, 2018https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language/figurative-language-examples/metaphor-examples/
MAJM
/ December 3, 2017Is “I measure the distance in terms of multiple whales” an example of hyperbole?
Mr. Morton
/ December 13, 2017It depends on whether that speaker is referencing a distance that is literally that great.
Jas.K
/ August 12, 2017Can you please give me an example of a hyperbole for either heavy loads or hard work about e-waste and e-waste scraps.
Jhade
/ June 10, 2017Mr. Morton, will you please tell me if this sentence is a metaphor or a personification?
1. Truly he has a heart of gold.
Mr. Morton
/ August 1, 2017That is a metaphor.
Bhagyesh
/ November 28, 2017I think so its hyperbole…….!
Biki
/ May 30, 2017What are examples of ironical sentences?
Mr. Morton
/ May 31, 2017Like verbal irony? That’s sarcasm.
Learn more about irony here:
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/irony-worksheets/
nathan.nguyen
/ March 20, 2017this helps lots of people learn if i could grade websites ive give this a a+
Christopher L Simons
/ March 20, 2017To know me is to love me.
It was the worst disaster ever. Probably not Hyperbole.
But this is: I was the worst disaster for all time. At least I think it is.
Mustache
/ March 10, 2017Some were not hyperbole examples like “I’d rather French kiss a rattlesnake than miss a gym period”, and “The sight of them kissing is so gross that it makes me want to puke”, I am so good at finding mistakes.
charlie anderton
/ January 31, 2017interesting, really, REALY interesting.
Anu
/ December 22, 2016Is my mother is always working a hyperbole?
Mr. Morton
/ March 14, 2017Yes, because that exaggerates how often she works. Obviously, she must sleep sometimes as well as do other things.
Mackie
/ December 6, 2016Thank You 🙂 It helps me a lot
Mrs. Groff
/ November 23, 2016Is this where we get the word “hype”?
Mr. Morton
/ December 6, 2016Yes, I believe they share the same root in “hyper.”
Jayden Johnson
/ January 7, 2016THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH SUCH A GREAT WEB SITE
waxy
/ November 9, 2015This lesson of hyperbole out of comparison.
It’s really helping we students thank you for your great work.
d.
/ October 15, 2015I really found this website useful for when I didn’t understand a hyperbole and was studying for a test
ShreyWhatsTheMatter
/ September 26, 2015This really helped my studies thank you so much…
avalanchelover152
/ May 26, 2015YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO HELPFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Breakfast15
/ March 16, 2015OMG soooo helpful
MoneyMan
/ February 27, 2015This IS THE MOST USEFUL WEBSITE EVER!
sad waffle
/ July 17, 2017i think that is a hyperbole
Raquel
/ February 17, 2015Wow, I have enough til forever!
b
/ November 16, 2016wow!
fluffyunicornlover#9
/ January 14, 2015This food is out of this world!
fluffyunicornlover#9
/ January 14, 2015You wouldn’t ever be as good as me in 1,000,000,000 years!
Sandra DeGrio
/ April 13, 2014I notice an increase in my leanings towards hyperbole when I began facebook messenger a year ago. Seems as if I am writing to myself when writing to a person that I have not seen for years…careless writing…Now I will pay more attention…
Mr. Morton
/ April 21, 2014In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with hyperbole. In fact, it can be used to great effect. Perhaps overusing it is problematic…
halle
/ April 2, 2014helpful i love these hyperboles
Anna hudson
/ March 11, 2014This is a great site that kids could find info for a a web quest, Like the one we are doing right now.
Cool cat
/ February 23, 2014This is the best website on earth it has such good hyperboles and they are really funny they crack me up every time I read it
Angel
/ February 14, 2014Thank you so much these were so helpful
Cris
/ January 26, 2014Thank you very much, I needed to find an easy and simple way to explain figurative language to my students, you helped me a lot.
Thanks from México!!
Mr. Morton
/ April 21, 2014Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Best wishes!
Clue Giver
/ January 7, 2014Your list went on forever!
Mr. Morton
/ June 3, 2014Nice.
kali
/ February 11, 2013This really helped me out a lot I looked for the definition and example everywhere like 10000 times you really rock I have a poetry project due tomarrow.
Mr. Morton
/ February 14, 2013Hey, I caught that. Nice hyperbole.
MoneyMan
/ February 27, 2015Why are some peoples names red
Mr. Morton
/ March 2, 2015I used to let people put links in their comments. The links would go to their webpages and stuff. That red font is their links. I got hit with too much spam though, so I disabled that.
shyshyadams
/ December 3, 2012this is amazing i really love it thanks so much
Cat
/ November 28, 2012The man was wearing pants 67 sizes too big.
Raji Quadri
/ November 11, 2012now i got the full gist of hyperbole…
awesome person
/ October 21, 2012i dont get this but i think by reding the list makes sence
ding san yung
/ May 14, 2012some aren’t even hyperbole
Mr. Morton
/ May 22, 2012Like which?
Me
/ September 13, 2012“My mom is going to kill me”
That one happens all the time! Just read the news.
I’m kidding, this is a great list. Thanks
Mr. Morton
/ September 27, 2012Ouch. Nice one.
Shibaani Shalji
/ January 31, 2012ThankQ SOOO MUCCHH! Verryy informative 😀