Examples of Hyperboles

English is a beautiful language and in order to master the language, one has to be aware of the linguistic nuances and wordplays that are possible in the language. The rules of English grammar, the phrases, and the figures of speech are all a part of the ensemble. Before discussing examples of hyperboles, you should know what a hyperbole is or more importantly, what figures of speech are.

What is a figure of speech?

A figure of speech or a rhetoric or locution is a word or a single phrase that goes off the straightforward literal language. There are two main categories of figures of speech - the schemes and the tropes. A scheme refers to a figure of speech, which changes the normal arrangement of words in a standard sentence structure. On the other hand, a trope refers to the use of a word or a phrase in a way not intended by its normal signification. Thus, collectively tropes and schemes are referred to as the figures of speech.

What is a hyperbole?

Now that we know what figures of speech are, we can get into the details of what a hyperbole is. A hyperbole is a figure of speech used in the English language. The word hyperbole has its origin in the Greek language and means excess or exaggeration. By definition, a hyperbole is nothing but a trope composed of exaggerated words or ideals used for emphasis. Also described as ‘the implied simile’, hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated to create an impact and are not supposed to be interpreted literally. Hyperboles are commonly used in prose as well as poetry. However, although valued in creative writing, hyperboles are avoided in formal writing or business writing.

Examples of Hyperboles

• Here once the embattled farmers stood,
  And fired the shot heard round the world. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, (The Concord Hymn)
• If thou dost slander her and torture me,
  Never pray more; abandon all remorse;
  On horror’s head accumulate;
  Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed;
  For nothing canst thou to damnation add
  Greater than that. ~ Shakespeare (Othello)
• "I have seen this river so wide it had only one bank." - Mark Twain
• My eyes widened at the sight of the mile-high ice cream cones we were having for dessert.
• Ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a million times worse than all of them put together. ~ Kent Brockman (The Simpsons)
• These books in your bag weigh a ton.
• I am so tired I could sleep for a year.
• I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse right now.
• He is older than the hills.
• I will die if she asks me to dance.
• She is as big as an elephant!
• I'm really busy, I am doing like ten million things at the same time.

So, there you go. Now you know everything about hyperboles. Reading prose and poetry and finding out and identifying the various figures of speech from the content can be a useful exercise to learn the different figures of speech. Making an attempt to identify and classify the figures of speech from prose and poetry will help you to master the figures of speech and thus use them effectively and appropriately!