Hyperbole

(39 words)
  • Editors

Short Note This is a short note

Overstatement or exaggeration for the sake of emphasis, as when the little boy says “Hey Dad there's thousands of cats in our yard!” As literary devices, hyperbole, and its opposite understatement (litotes), are much used in comedy and satire.

Short notes under 150 words are freely available to all users, but to consult all other articles in the Literary Encyclopedia, you must be logged in as a subscriber. To read about subscribing click here.


Citation:
Editors. "Hyperbole". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=527, accessed 24 May 2013.]