exaggerate
UK[ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt]US[ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt]
v
to make something seem larger, better, worse, or more important than it really is.
v
to describe or represent something in an excessive or overstated manner.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
agger
ate
ex
out
agger
heap
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'exaggerate' originates from the latin verb 'exaggerare', meaning "to heap up, to pile high, to amplify". this verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'ex-' (meaning "out, thoroughly") and the noun 'agger' (meaning "a heap or mound", particularly of earth). the literal image is of piling earth outward to build up a mound or rampart. over time, this concrete sense of physically building up a heap evolved into the figurative meaning of piling on details or emphasis in speech or writing, thereby overstating or amplifying a description beyond the facts. the modern abstract meaning retains this core logic of building something up beyond its natural or true proportions.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + agger (heap) + ate (verb suffix)
ex: latin origin, meaning "out, thoroughly". a prefix indicating outward movement or intensification.
agger: latin origin, from "agger" meaning "heap, mound, pile". it is a direct substring of the english spelling.
ate: latin origin, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to make, to act".
Examples
it's easy to exaggerate the difficulties of the situation.
he tends to exaggerate when telling stories about his travels.
the advertisement was accused of exaggerating the benefits of the product.