What is Hiperbola?

Definition

Hyperbole is a figure of speech (a form of irony) in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement. Adjective: hyperbolic. Contrast with understatement.

In the first century, Roman rhetorician Quintilian observed that hyperbole is "commonly used even by ignorant people and peasants, which is understandable, as all people are by nature inclined to magnify or to minimize things and nobody is content to stick to what is really the case" (translated by Claudia Claridge in Hyperbole in English, 2011).

Hyperbole

I. What is Hyperbole?

Hyperbole (pronounced hahy-pur-buh-lee, not hyper-bowl) is an exaggeration which is obvious, extreme, and intentional. Hyperbole is used in order to stir up a strong emotion or response in the reader. It is important to note, though, that hyperbole should not be taken literally. Rather, it is used to emphasize a certain statement or characteristic.

For example:

That suitcase weighed a ton!

This would mean that the suitcases weighed two thousand pounds! Of course, the person does not mean that the suitcase actually weighed a ton. He is using hyperbole in order to point out the heavy weight.
The word hyperbole is derived from the Greek word hyperbolḗ meaning “over-casting.”

II. Examples of Hyperbole

Below are a few more common examples of hyperbole often used in everyday conversation.

Example 1
A girl wants to point out the embarrassment her friend will feel:

She’s going to die of embarrassment!

This does not mean that the girl will be sick or her heart will stop due to embarrassment. Instead, hyperbole is used to emphasize how embarrassing the situation is.

Example 2
A student is eagerly waiting for spring break:

 Spring break will never come.

This example, like “I haven’t seen you in a million years!” serves to emphasize a length of time. When looking forward to vacation, sometimes it seems as if time has slowed down or as if the final ring of the bell will never come. We know that this is not true, but we use hyperbole to point out how slow time seems to move.

III. The Importance of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is often used in day-to-day speech to show emotion. For example, upon seeing your friend after a long absence, you may say, “I haven’t seen you in a million years!” This is not the case in reality. But, hyperbole is used to describe how long it felt since the last time you saw your friend. It shows different emotions such as happiness or excitement. Meanwhile, a situation with carrying a heavy suitcase like in section 1, shows emotions of annoyance or even pain!

IV. Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

We often use hyperbole in everyday speech, but we also use this figure of speech in prose and poetry. For example, in love poetry, the speaker uses hyperbole to emphasize intense passion and admiration for the beloved.
Example 1
American poet W.H. Auden writes in “As I Walked Out One Evening,”

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.

When will China and Africa meet? How can a river jump over a mountain? And when will salmon be intelligent enough to sing or evolved enough to walk the streets? Of course, none of these are literal projections for our future. W.H. Auden is using hyperbole to emphasize how long his love will last for his beloved.

Example 2
Joseph Conrad emphasizes the passing of time in the novel “Heart of Darkness”:

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

Ten days is, by no definition, an eternity, but it felt like one. To describe ten days as an eternity– forever– is to use hyperbole.

V. Examples of Hyperbole in Pop Culture

Example 1
One place in which you’ll see exaggeration and hyperbole is in commercials and advertisements. For example, see this slogan from Altoids:

Mints so strong they come in a metal box.

This description of Altoids peppermints implies that the mints are so strong that they must be contained in a metal box rather than paper or plastic packaging. Of course this isn’t literally true, but this hyperbole serves to emphasize how strong this breath mint is. This description is funny in its exaggeration but may also serve to attract those looking for a stronger mint.

Example 2
For another set of hyperboles, take a glance at Apple iPhone advertising:

The new iPhone is ‘bigger than bigger.’

We know this isn’t possible. Advertisers are using hyperbole to emphasize that the new iPhone is really, really big!
On the new iPad:

Let them choreograph a recital. Explore the North Pole. Organize a food drive. And take their entire songbook caroling.

Most likely, the average iPad user does not have such great ideas for what to do with the device. The use of hyperbole though, links inspiring, charitable, and artistic ideas with the product in the buyer’s mind. Good advertisers use good hyperbole. The truth doesn’t matter in advertising. It is the big idea, fun, and excitement that comes from hyperbole that attracts paying customers.
Hyperbole is in our daily conversation, advertisements, movies, TV shows, and music. It is a figure of speech that colors our world in a way that is much more exciting than what is literally true.

Example 3
In “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift claims:

Boys only want love if it’s torture.

Swift is not claiming that men actually want torture in romantic relationships. She is using hyperbole to claim that men prefer relationships that are difficult and dramatic.
Like the romantic poets that came before him, Sam Smith uses hyperbole to emphasize the strength and depth of his love in “Latch”:

How do you do it? You got me losing every breath. What did you give me to make my heart bleed out my chest?

What love could possibly cause Smith to lose his breath and to begin bleeding from his chest? A love that has been hyperbolized. Here, Smith uses the hyperbole to explain that he has been taken over with strong, passionate love.

VII. Hyperbole: The Power of Exaggeration

In closing, hyperbole is a figure of speech which uses exaggeration to emphasize a certain characteristic. Hyperbole can be used to stir up emotion or a response in the reader, whether it is happiness, inspiration, romance, sadness, or laughter.