Translation guide
The act of making something seem larger, better, worse, or more important than it really is.
To describe something as bigger, more extreme, or more significant than it actually is.
The most direct and common noun for 'exaggeration'. Used in both formal and casual contexts.
That's an exaggeration.
His stories are full of exaggeration.
A very common verb phrase meaning 'to exaggerate' or 'to overstate'. '大げさ' itself means 'exaggerated' or 'grandiose'.
He always exaggerates.
Don't exaggerate.
A na-adjective meaning 'exaggerated', 'overblown', or 'grandiose'. Often used to describe speech or reactions.
That's an exaggerated expression.
His reaction was exaggerated.
Means 'overestimation' or 'exaggeration of value/importance'. More formal and often used in analytical contexts.
The report exaggerates the risks.
To use hyperbole or overstatement as a rhetorical device, often in casual conversation.
A casual, loanword-based phrase meaning 'to exaggerate' or 'to overdo it'. 'オーバー' comes from 'over'.
I was just exaggerating a little.
A slangy expression meaning 'to embellish a story' or 'to make a story more interesting by exaggerating'. Literally 'to heap up a story'.
He's definitely exaggerating the story.
A compound meaning 'hyperbolic expression' or 'exaggerated phrasing'. Used in literary or rhetorical analysis.
To describe over-the-top gestures, facial expressions, or dramatic behavior.
Means 'exaggerated gestures'. '身振り' refers to bodily gestures or movements.
He speaks with exaggerated gestures.
A loanword meaning 'overreaction' or 'exaggerated reaction'. Common in casual speech.
His exaggerated reactions are funny.
English often uses 'exaggerate' as a verb, but Japanese prefers noun-based expressions like '誇張する' or adverbial phrases like '大げさに言う'. Simply saying '誇張する' is grammatically correct but can sound stiff; '大げさに言う' is more natural in conversation.
'誇張' is a more formal, objective term for exaggeration, often used in writing or serious discussion. '大げさ' is more subjective and commonly used in daily conversation to describe something as overblown or dramatic. '大げさに言う' is the most natural way to say 'to exaggerate' in casual speech.
It's no exaggeration to say that he saved the company.
Don't exaggerate your achievements.
This poem makes heavy use of exaggeration.