“Hyperbole” is basically the literary term for exaggerating something to the point that it is considered ridiculous. Hyperboles are not meant to be taken seriously. The definition of the word hyperbole can be easily remembered with the following phrase: “Hyperbole? More LIE-perbole!” In fact, you should probably start saying that every time someone uses a hyperbole so that they’ll learn grammar. Alright, now let’s go over some examples of hyperboles.

Example 1. About ten thousand people drove by and saw me rolling in my yard that one time I had ticks all over my face.

Explanation: Obviously ten thousand people didn’t drive by my house during that short period of time — that’s why its a hyperbole.

Example 2. My nipples are as hard as a basket full of sledge hammers that have been frozen in liquid nitrogen and then smashed with a second basket full of diamond tipped sledge hammers.

Explanation: Human beings are physically incapable of having nipples that hard, and that’s why this is a hyperbole.

3. I accidentally drank expired prune juice at my grandmother’s house, and I literally had to crap out an entire ecosystem across her floor, which included frogs and snakes.

Explanation: Expired prune juice alone, could not create an entire ecosystem.

4. Yo mama so fat, she uses a spatula as a spoon when she eats fried butter bacon.

Explanation: I know that yo mama jokes are stupid, but almost all yo mama jokes use hyperboles.

5. This raw sewage tastes like it has been here for seven million years.

Explanation: Raw sewage decomposes much quicker than seven million years.

Remember, when you start to write your own hyperboles, make sure they are ridiculous to the point that they aren’t believable. Otherwise you will end up like this guy I once knew who always made his hyperboles too believable. As a direct result of his believable hyperbole usage, he has only been moderately successful as a small business owner.

Photo Credit: Delano, Jack,, 1914-, photographer.
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