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I’ve told you a million times!

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Hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning "excess," is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. It is the opposite of understatement.

You can find hyperbole in literature and everyday speech. You would not use it in nonfiction works, like reports or research papers, but it is perfect for creative communication and fiction writing, especially to add color to a character or humor to the story.

Hyperboles are not comparisons, like similes and metaphors, but extravagant and even ridiculous overstatements, not meant to be taken literally. In literature, hyperbole will often be used to show contrasts or catch the reader's attention.

Hyperbole Adds Emphasis

A simple story can be brought to life or become comical with the use of hyperbole.

In these commonly used examples of hyperbole you will see that the sentiment is not realistic but helps to stress the point:

I've told you to clean your room a million times!

It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.

She is so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.

I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

I have a million things to do today.

When I was young, I had to walk 15 miles to school, uphill, in the snow.

I had a ton of homework.

If I can't buy that perfect prom dress, I will die!

He is as skinny as a toothpick.

The car went faster than the speed of light.

His new car cost a bazillion dollars.

We are so poor; we don't have two cents to rub together.

That joke is so old, the last time I heard it I was riding a dinosaur.

They ran like greased lightning.

He's got tons of money.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Her brain is the size of a pea.

My geography teacher is older than the hills.

Hyperbole in Literature

A great example of hyperbole in literature comes from Paul Bunyan's opening remarks in the American folktale of Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. It comically gets across just how cold it was:

"Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before."

An example of how hyperbole can emphasize emotion comes from the poem "As I Walked Out One Evening" by W.H. Auden:

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky."

The exaggeration here in Parker's Back byFlannery O'Connor helps to set up the characterization:

"The skin on her face was as thin and drawn as tight as the skin of onion and her eyes were gray and sharp like the points of two picks."

In this example from Banner in the Sky, James Ramsey Ullman shows how sharp contrast can heighten emotion:

"It was not a mere man he was holding, but a giant; or a block of granite. The pull was unendurable. The pain unendurable."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses hyperbole to emphasize the slow, dull pace of life in the town:

"A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County."

Hyperbole in Advertising

If used properly, hyperbole can encourage consumers to buy products. There has been limited research into this area, but a 2007 study by Mark A. Callister PhD & Lesa A. Stern PhD, "The Role of Visual Hyperbole in Advertising Effectiveness" found that "hyperbolic ads produce more ad liking than nonhyperbolic ads."

Examples of hyperboles in advertising include:

Adds amazing luster for infinite, mirror-like shine (Brilliant Brunette shampoo)

It doesn't get better than this (Oscar Meyer)

The best a man can get (Gillette)

Mints so strong they come in a metal box (Altoids)

Do Exaggerate

Remember, hyperbole is over the top and not meant to be taken literally, but figuratively. Look for examples of these extreme exaggerations in many sources, from poetry and plays to everyday conversations and commercials, and use hyperbole to inject emphasis, feeling and humor into your writing. When used appropriately, the effect is purposeful and emphatic, causing the reader to pay attention. Just be careful not to overdo the overstatment!

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Hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning "excess," is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis. It is the opposite of understatement. You can find hyperbole in literature and everyday speech.

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My grandmother is as old as the hills.

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Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning "over-casting," is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, "It's been ages since I last saw you." You may not have met him for three or four hours, or a day, but the use of the word "ages" exaggerates this statement to add emphasis to your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other common Hyperbole examples are given below.

Common Examples of Hyperbole

My grandmother is as old as the hills.

Your suitcase weighs a ton!

She is as heavy as an elephant!

I am dying of shame.

I am trying to solve a million issues these days.

It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison, like simile and metaphor. Rather, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by an overstatement. Let us see some examples from Classical English literature in which hyperbole was used successfully.

Short Examples of Hyperbole

1. A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar's back when he received the alms.

2. He saw a man as tall a power poll.

3. He saw his childhood friend after ages.

4. The weather was so hot that literally everything was on fire.

5. The boy was dying to get a new school bag.

6. The teacher told his students not to repeat that mistake for the umpteenth time, but to no avail.

7. He was in such a hurry that he drove his car at a bazillion miles per hour.

8. The minister told the guests that the couple's friendship was deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey.

9. The blacksmith's hand was harder than the rock.

10. Their headmaster was omnipresent, as he seemed to be all around the school all the time.

11. The businessman was so busy that he was attending to a million calls simultaneously.

12. The old man was older than the Himalayas.

13. The mule is able to lift tons of weight uphill.

14. His classmates laughed at him, saying he had a pea-sized brain.

15. John was called the elephant of the class for his clumsiness.

Hyperbole Examples in Literature

Example #1: Babe the Blue Ox (American Folklore)

In American folk lore, Paul Bunyan's stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates winter by saying:

"Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before."

Freezing of the spoken words at night in winter, and then warming them up in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole, which has been effectively used in this short excerpt from an American folktale.

Example #2: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)

From William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act II, Scene II:

"Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red."

Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He regrets his sin, and believes that even the oceans of the greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood of the king off his hands. We can see the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines.

Example #3: As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden)

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry."

The use of hyperbole can be seen in the above lines in the meeting of China and Africa, the jumping of the river over the mountain, the singing of salmon in the street, and the ocean being folded and hung up to dry are exaggerations, not possible in real life.

Example #4: The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid)

"He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills ..."

The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole.

Example #5: The Heart of Darkness (By Joseph Conrad)

"I had to wait in the station for ten days - an eternity."

The act of waiting ten days seemed to last forever and never end.

Example #6: Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room (By William Blake)

"Ah, William, we're weary of weather,"
Said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
"Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?"
They arranged themselves at the window
And counted the steps of the sun,
And they both took root in the carpet
Where the topaz tortoises run.

This is a poem by William Blake in which he uses exaggerated personification of sunflowers, which is akin to hyperbole.

Example #7: A Red, Red Rose (By Robert Burns)

"As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run."

The poet Robert Burns gives many examples of hyperbole in this piece. The poet says that he would love his beloved until the seas are dried up, and the rocks are melted.

Function of Hyperbole

The above arguments make clear the use of hyperbole. In our daily conversation, we use hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasize our meaning. However, in literature it has very serious implications. By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet makes common human feelings remarkable and intense to such an extent that they do not remain ordinary. In literature, usage of hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is described with an over-statement, and the other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is employed to catch the reader's attention.

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Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning "over-casting," is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech. For instance, when you meet a friend after a long time, you say, "It's been ages since I last saw you."

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I'm so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!

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Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or humor. This literary tool is often used to make a certain element of a story seem more interesting. To say you were bored to tears (even when you were never on the verge of crying) packs a bit more of a punch than, "I was bored."

These literary tools are meant to be taken with a grain of salt because, while lying isn't encouraged, stretching the truth is the name of the game.

Let's have some fun with entertaining examples of hyperbole for kids that'll acquaint them with a new element of fiction and hopefully spark a lifelong friendship.

Hyperbole to Express Size

She's as thin as a toothpick.

Her brain is the size of a pea.

He was skinny enough to jump through a keyhole.

That mall is large enough to have its own zip code.

I ate so much on Thanksgiving, I weigh more than a whale.

Her smile was a mile wide.

His stomach is a bottomless pit.

Hyperbole to Express Desperation

If I can't get a smartphone, I will die.

My mom is going to kill me.

These dress shoes are killing me.

This is so boring, just kill me now!

It was so cold I saw polar bears wearing jackets.

My mom works her fingers to the bone.

It feels like my birthday will never come.

I had a ton of chores to do.

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

We used to walk 15 miles to school in the snow, uphill.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Hyperbole to Exaggerate Expense

Our new house cost a bazillion dollars.

We don't have two cents to rub together.

The church was decorated with a million flowers.

He's got tons of video games.

Hyperbole to Exaggerate Time

Grandpa is older than dirt.

Old Mr. Smith has been teaching here since the Stone Age.

My dad is always working.

I've told you a million times not to do that.

We waited for centuries for the latest game to be released.

It will only take me two seconds to get there.

You're walking slower than a snail.

Carrie never stops talking.

I'm going to stay awake all night to catch Santa Claus.

Hyperboles in Ads

Kids see advertisements all the time and many contain hyperboles. Here of some examples of hyperboles in advertising:

AT&T - Reach out and touch someone.

Citgo - There at every turn.

Citi - Citi never sleeps.

Disneyland - The happiest place on earth.

Esso - Put a tiger in your tank.

Energizer - Keeps going and going and going.

Geico - It's so easy, a caveman can do it.

Oscar Meyer - It doesn't get better than this.

Redbull - It gives you wings!

Sherwin Williams - Cover the earth.

Visa - It's everywhere you want to be.

Now that the kids are hooked on hyperbole, we hope you'll continue the fun with more Examples of Hyperbole. And, when the time's right, why not expand their horizons into personification or alliteration? These Figure of Speech Examples provides a nice starting point for all the fictional fun you're about to ensconce them in.

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Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or humor. This literary tool is often used to make a certain element of a story seem more interesting. To say you were bored to tears (even when you were never on the verge of crying) packs a bit more of a punch than, "I was bored."

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"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!"

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I'm so hungry I could eat a whole elephant

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"The worlds best coffee"

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In the story Blue Ox Babe, he uses the hyperbole "Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue."

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retold by S. E. Schlosser
Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.

Paul Bunyan went out walking in the woods one day during that Winter of the Blue Snow. He was knee-deep in blue snow when he heard a funny sound between a bleat and a snort. Looking down, he saw a teeny-tiny baby blue ox jest a hopping about in the snow and snorting with rage on account of he was too short to see over the drifts.

Paul Bunyan laughed when he saw the spunky little critter and took the little blue mite home with him. He warmed the little ox up by the fire and the little fellow fluffed up and dried out, but he remained as blue as the snow that had stained him in the first place. So Paul named him Babe the Blue Ox.

Well, any creature raised in Paul Bunyan's camp tended to grow to massive proportions, and Babe was no exception. Folks that stared at him for five minutes could see him growing right before their eyes. He grew so big that 42 axe handles plus a plug of tobacco could fit between his eyes and it took a murder of crows a whole day to fly from one horn to the other. The laundryman used his horns to hang up all the camp laundry, which would dry lickety-split because of all the wind blowing around at that height.

Whenever he got an itch, Babe the Blue Ox had to find a cliff to rub against, 'cause whenever he tried to rub against a tree it fell over and begged for mercy. To whet his appetite, Babe would chew up thirty bales of hay, wire and all. It took six men with picaroons to get all the wire out of Babe's teeth after his morning snack. Right after that he'd eat a ton of grain for lunch and then come pestering around the cook - Sourdough Sam - begging for another snack.

Babe the Blue Ox was a great help around Paul Bunyan's logging camp. He could pull anything that had two ends, so Paul often used him to straighten out the pesky, twisted logging roads. By the time Babe had pulled the twists and kinks out of all the roads leading to the lumber camp, there was twenty miles of extra road left flopping about with nowhere to go. So Paul rolled them up and used them to lay a new road into new timberland.

Paul also used Babe the Blue Ox to pull the heavy tank wagon which was used to coat the newly-straightened lumber roads with ice in the winter, until one day the tank sprang a leak that trickled south and became the Mississippi River. After that, Babe stuck to hauling logs. Only he hated working in the summertime, so Paul had to paint the logging roads white after the spring thaw so that Babe would keep working through the summer.

One summer, as Babe the Blue Ox was hauling a load of logs down the white-washed road and dreaming of the days when the winter would feel cold again and the logs would slide easier on the "ice", he glanced over the top of the mountain and caught a glimpse of a pretty yeller calf grazing in a field. Well, he twisted out of his harness lickety-split and stepped over the mountain to introduce himself. It was love at first sight, and Paul had to abandon his load and buy Bessie the Yeller Cow from the farmer before Babe would do any more hauling.

Bessie the Yeller Cow grew to the massive, yet dainty proportions that were suitable for the mate of Babe the Blue Ox. She had long yellow eyelashes that tickled the lumberjacks standing on the other end of camp each time she blinked. She produced all the dairy products for the lumber camp. Each day, Sourdough Sam made enough butter from her cream to grease the giant pancake griddle and sometimes there was enough left over to butter the toast!

The only bone of contention between Bessie and Babe was the weather. Babe loved the ice and snow and Bessie loved warm summer days. One winter, Bessie grew so thin and pale that Paul Bunyan asked his clerk Johnny Inkslinger to make her a pair of green goggles so she would think it was summer. After that, Bessie grew happy and fat again, and produced so much butter that Paul Bunyan used the leftovers to grease the whitewashed lumber roads in summer. With the roads so slick all year round, hauling logs became much easier for Babe the Blue Ox, and so Babe eventually came to like summer almost as much as Bessie.

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retold by S. E. Schlosser Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard.

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"He's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"