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Simple and Famous Hyperbole Examples That are Easy to Understand

A hyperbole is used regularly in both, written and oral communication. When we want to emphasize on something, we use a hyperbole. A hyperbole, as a figure of speech, or as a rhetorical device, is used in literature (poetry and prose) to emphasize on something. This emphasis is achieved by the use of extreme exaggeration.

Know Your Basics!

Hyperbole is derived from the word hyperbole (L. & Gk.). Noun: hyperbole/hyperbolism Adjective: hyperbolic(al) Adverb: hyperbolically

We can say that hyperboles are literary devices that aren’t to be taken literally. Usually used in works of fiction, a hyperbole adds color and more meaning to a character or the story as a whole. A part of the figurative language (language that is not literal in meaning), a hyperbole becomes a great tool in creative writing. Now, let’s look at a few examples.

Famous Examples of Hyperbole

“At that time Bogota was a remote, lugubrious city where an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th century.” – Gabriel García Márquez, Living to Tell the Tale

Here, the claim that ‘rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th century’ is an obvious exaggeration.

“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.” – Opening of the American folktale ‘Babe the Blue Ox’

Here, the ‘geese flying backward’, ‘snow turning blue’, ‘words freezing’, and ‘waiting for sunrise to find out what was being said’ are all hyperboles, as none of these actually happen.

“Auden on Endless Love 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,

I’ll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry And the seven stars go squawking Like geese about the sky.” – W.H. Auden, As I Walked Out One Evening

Here, we know that China and Africa can never meet and that oceans will never be hung to dry. These ideas are impossible. The poet has implied this ‘impossibility’ as the depth of his love. Here, hyperbole is used as a rhetorical device.

“I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.” – Mark Twain, Old Times on the Mississippi

Here, the author has added humor to his predicament, and to describe it has said, ‘…could have hung my hat on my eyes’.

“A man can have a belly you could house commercial aircraft in and a grand total of eight greasy strands of hair, which he grows real long and combs across the top of his head so that he looks, when viewed from above, like an egg in the grasp of a giant spider, plus this man can have B.O. to the point where he interferes with radio transmissions, and he will still be convinced that, in terms of attractiveness, he is borderline Don Johnson.” – Dave Barry, Revenge of the Pork Person

Here, the author has described a character using a comparison that is a hyperbole: ‘a belly you could house commercial aircraft in’.

“My toaster has never once worked properly in four years. I follow the instructions and push two slices of bread down in the slots, and seconds later they rifle upwards. Once they broke the nose of a woman I loved dearly.” – Woody Allen, ‘My Speech to the Graduates’ featured in The New York Times

Here, ‘rifle up’ is an extreme alternative to ‘pop up’. Also, there is little to no possibility that the nose of a woman broke with a piece of toast. This is a fine example of hyperbole being used to add humor to a statement.

10 Simple Hyperbole Examples for Kids

~Have you realized you always walk at the speed of a snail?

~I have been trying to complete this since the Stone Age.

~After the holidays, I’m sure a whale would weigh less than me.

~Hundreds of tears flowed down her cheeks that day.

~The car was decorated with a million flowers.

~Her mile-wide smile could make anyone’s heart melt instantly.

~Her nails were so long she could tap people on the back with them.

~Sometimes I really believe that your brain is the size of a pea.

~Whenever I went to the library, I would see him buried under a mountain of paperwork.

Hyperbole Examples in Advertising

iPhone 5: Browse, download and stream content at blazing-fast speeds.

Samsung GALAXY Camera: Shoot, Edit and Share instantly to get a thousand likes on your photos!

Camel: I’d walk a mile for a camel.

Citi: Citi never sleeps.

Citgo: There at every turn.

Esso: Put a tiger in your tank.

Sherwin Williams: Cover the earth.

321 East: How good is our steak? Last week a man who was choking on a piece refused the Heimlich Maneuver.

As we have seen, all these hyperbole examples tell us how exaggeration can be used to convey the exact meaning through magnified implication. A simple statement can seem dramatic with the use of a hyperbole. These examples will not only help you understand certain texts, but also improve your command over the written language.

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Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech and literary device that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration . Hyperbole is often a boldly overstated or exaggerated claim or statement that adds emphasis without the intention of being literally true. In rhetoric and literature, hyperbole is often used for serious, comic, or ironic effects.

For example, lyrics to  The Ballad of Davy Crockett  by Thomas W. Blackburn contain hyperbole:

Born on a mountain top in Tennessee Greenest state in the land of the free Raised in the woods so he knew ev’ry tree Kilt him a be ‘are [bear] when he was only three Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier

The audience isn’t supposed to believe that this character truly knew “every tree” or that he literally killed a bear when he was “only three.” Instead, hyperbole is used to exaggerate Davy Crockett’s frontier experience and make him seem larger than life. Hyperbole is a frequently used literary device in tall tales, legends , and folk stories. The audience is aware that such claims are to emphasize the traits of the characters and not to be taken literally.

Common Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Speech

Many people use hyperbole as a figure of speech to make something seem larger or more important than it actually is. Such exaggeration or distortion can help express strong emotion, emphasize a point, or even evoke humor . Here are some common examples of hyperbole in everyday speech:

• I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.
• That purse looks like it cost a million dollars.
• I Love You to the moon and back.
• He feels buried under a mountain of work.
• I’m dying of thirst.
• That dog is the cutest thing alive.
• She loves him more than life itself.
• This suitcase weighs a ton.
• He heard an ear-splitting shriek.
• This race is going to be the death of me.
• I’m so tired that I could sleep for a week.
• That song is the worst thing I have ever heard.
• This room is so cold that I’m getting hypothermia.
• i am addicted to skateboarding.
• She is more beautiful than the moon and stars.

Examples of Hyperbole in Advertising

Many advertising campaigns and slogans feature hyperbole as a way to attract customers to their products. Here are some examples of hyperbole in well-known advertisements:

• When you’re here, you’re family. (Olive Garden)
• Breakfast of champions (Wheaties)
• The king of beers (Budweiser)
• The best a man can get (Gillette)
• When there is no tomorrow (FedEx)
• Nothing runs like a Deere. (John Deere)
• Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name. (Meow Mix)
• Taste the rainbow (Skittles)
• america runs on Dunkin’ (Dunkin’ Donuts)
• Red Bull gives you wings (Red Bull)

Famous Examples of Hyperbole in Movie Lines

Hyperbole is effective in creating movie lines that are humorous and/or dramatic, which makes them memorable as well for the audience. Here are some famous examples of hyperbole in well-known movie lines:

• Love means never having to say you’re sorry. (Love Story )
• I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight. (The Devil Wears Prada)
• I’m the king of the world! (Titanic)
• As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again (Gone with the Wind)
• To infinity and beyond! (Toy Story)
• I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! (Network)
• You sit on a throne of lies. (Elf)
• Can I use the facilities? Because being pregnant makes me pee like Seabiscuit! (Juno)
• You can’t! It’s impossible! I’m far too busy, so ask me now before I again become sane. (The Incredibles)
• What is this? A school for ants? (Zoolander)
• There are only three ages for women in Hollywood: babe, district attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy. (The First Wives Club)
• The best thing about visiting the President is the food! Now, since it was all free, and I wasn’t hungry but thirsty, I must’ve drank me fifteen Dr. Peppers. (Forrest Gump)
• You’ll shoot your eye out. (A Christmas Story)
• We are going to pull off the true crime of the century. We are going to steal the moon ! (Despicable Me)

Difference Between Hyperbole and Overstatement

Hyperbole and overstatement are often used interchangeably, and they can serve as synonyms for each other. However, overstatement and hyperbole have subtle differences in their use and intended effect. An overstatement is an exaggeration or a statement in excess of what most would consider reasonable. A hyperbole is also an exaggeration, yet it is often more extreme than an overstatement and its intended effect is as a literary or rhetorical device . Both overstatement and hyperbole are figures of speech and are not meant to be understood literally. Hyperbole, however, is utilized as a device in literature and rhetoric, not just a form of figurative language .

Difference Between Metaphor and Hyperbole

Metaphor and hyperbole are commonly used literary devices . A writer uses metaphor to compare things with some other persons or things. At times, it is an unusual comparison . Sometimes it seems overstatement which is not meant normally. In the case of hyperbole, it is different because its usage is meant to exaggerate and not take the thing or idea literally. The statement that his words are music could be an overstatement but not always. Hence it is a metaphor. However, to say that his words are the greatest melody that was ever heard is an exaggeration and this is hyperbole, which is always meant to exaggerate things.

Using Hyperbole in Satire

As hyperbole is meant to overstate and exaggerate things, it is also meant to bring humor. Therefore, using hyperbole in satire makes things or ideas or persons larger than life or lesser than life with exaggeration or even understatement . Satire also works on the same lines that it has two premises and the first one is based on a story with some overstatement and exaggeration such as Jonathan Swift does in Gulliver Travels.

Use of Hyperbole in Sentences

• Although most of Henry’s statements are straightforward, they have some substance as he himself is the embodiment of the judiciary.
• Sarah’s laughter could bring the entire building crashing.
• Lifting a toddler, Rohan teased ‘You are as light as a feather’.
• Why don’t you walk faster? You’re as slow as a tortoise.
• Didn’t I tell you a million times not to leave the dishes in the sink without cleaning your plate?

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole is effective as a literary device in many ways. By exaggerating something in an extreme way, whether it is a character’s traits, writer’s tone , theme , or idea, hyperbole can capture a reader’s attention. In addition, it can cause the reader to question a narrator ’s reliability, reflect on the writer’s true intention, or provide a level of absurd humor for entertainment.

Here are some examples of hyperbole in literature and its effect as a literary device:

Example 1:  A Modest Proposal  (Jonathan Swift)

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London , that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.

Swift’s satirical essay reflects his view of the oppressive policies and attitudes toward Ireland and the poor on the part of the British people and overall aristocracy in the early eighteenth century. This is one of the most famous hyperbolic passages in literature, as Swift suggests selling and using Irish children as a food source to relieve the economic plight of the Irish people. Of course, this “proposal” is a figure of speech and intended as an extreme exaggeration rather than a literal solution. However, the practical and almost casual tone with which Swift delivers his hyperbole is as shocking for readers as what he appears to be suggesting. As a literary and rhetorical device in the essay, hyperbole achieves a serious and ironic effect for the reader.

Satirists often rely on hyperbole to emphasize a point and focus a reader’s attention on a socio-political or economic problem. Unfortunately, there were people in Swift’s time that made a literal interpretation of his modest proposal. This caused a backlash among certain members of the aristocracy due to their misunderstanding of his hyperbole. However, for a modern audience, rather than discounting Swift’s essay as something ridiculous, his hyperbolic proposal achieves its intended effect by causing the reader to reflect on the underlying problems that would result in such a dramatic literary essay–both in Swift’s time and today.

Example 2:  Sonnet 147  (William Shakespeare)

My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease, Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, Th’ uncertain sickly appetite to please. My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, Hath left me, and I desperate now approve Desire is death, which physic did except. Past cure I am , now reason is past care, And, frantic-mad with evermore unrest, My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are, At random from the truth vainly expressed. For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, Who art as black as hell, as dark as night .

In this Shakespearean sonnet , the poet utilizes hyperbole as a literary device to describe his love and desire for his beloved . The poet exaggerates his feelings to the point of claiming that they make him ill and mad beyond cure. Shakespeare realizes that his audience understands that the poet does not literally mean what he is saying. However, the sentiment behind such hyperbole can be interpreted in two ways.

First, readers can interpret the hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s method of describing the way infatuation and desire, especially if unrequited, rob people of their reason and logic. This passion and preoccupation can figuratively feel like illness or madness that grows exponentially and is without a cure. In this sense, the intended effect of hyperbole as a literary device would be relatively serious. Second, readers can interpret this hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s way of ironically expressing how people feel when infatuated or impassioned. In this case, Shakespeare would be satirizing such love and romantic poetry as well through hyperbole, emphasizing the significance of the final couplet .

Example 3:  The Foreigner (Larry Shue)

ELLARD. That’s my favorite name. If I ever catch me that chipmunk, that’s what he’s gonna be— Buddy the chipmunk. CATHERINE. Ellard, you couldn’t catch a chipmunk if all its legs were broken and it was glued to the palm of your hand.

In Shue’s play , the character Catherine utilizes hyperbole to reveal to the audience her perception of her brother’s intelligence and ability. Such an extremely exaggerated statement not only indicates the witty humor of the playwright but also creates an absurd and memorable image for the audience. In this case, Shue’s hyperbolic dialogue is designed for comic effect and to showcase the personality traits of the characters onstage. Literary devices such as hyperbole are valuable in dramatic literary works that are meant to be performed for an audience. Hyperbole allows the playwright to emphasize aspects of certain characters and their relationship to each other. This enhances the audience’s understanding of the play and the writer’s intended meaning.

Synonyms of Hyperbole

As hyperbole is a literary device, no word conveys the same meanings. The following are the closest synonyms of Hyperbole: exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, overplaying, excess, overkill, or puffery.

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Hyperbole: Definition and Examples

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A hyperbole is a  figure of speech  in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; it's an extravagant statement. In adjective form, the term is  hyperbolic . The concept is also called  overstatement .

Key Takeaways: Hyperbole

• When you exaggerate something, you're using hyperbole.
• Hyperbole is everywhere, from a conversation about a good meal you ate, to comedy acts, to literature.
• A simile or metaphor might compare things, but they don't have to be exaggerations.

In the first century, Roman rhetorician Quintilian observed, "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).

Examples of Hyperbole

Hyperbole, or over-exaggeration, is rife in common, everyday informal speech, from saying things like your book bag weighs a ton, that you were so mad you could have killed someone, or that you could have eaten an entire vat of that delicious dessert.

Mark Twain was a master at it. From "Old Times on the Mississippi," he describes, "I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far."

Humor writer Dave Barry certainly uses it with flair:

"My wife believes that men tend to have insanely high physical standards regarding the kind of woman they're willing to settle for. She notes that a middle-aged man can have tarantula-grade nose hair, b.o. that can cause migrating geese to change course, and enough spare tissue to form a whole new middle-aged man, but this man can still believe he is physically qualified to date Scarlett Johansson." ("I'll Mature When I'm Dead." Berkley, 2010)

It's everywhere in comedy, from stand-up routines to sitcoms, used to tickle the audience's funny bone by putting a surprising image into people's imagination. Take the genre of "Your mama" jokes, such as, "Your mama's hair is so short she could stand on her head and her hair wouldn't touch the ground" or "Your father is so low he has to look up to tie his shoes," quoted in author Onwuchekwa Jemie's book "Yo Mama! New Raps, Toasts, Dozens, Jokes, and Children's Rhymes From Urban Black America" (Temple Univ. Press, 2003).

Hyperbole is all over the place in advertising. Just think of a negative attack ad in a political campaign that sounds as if the world will cease to exist should so-and-so take office. Hyperbole in ads can be visual, like in images of former wide receiver Isaiah Mustafa for Old Spice or cheeky commercial clips for Snickers. No, wearing Old Spice deodorant will not make you as manly as an NFL or Olympic athlete, and being hungry does not transform Boogie into Elton John , unable to rap (cured by eating a Snickers bar). Viewers know these claims are exaggerations, but they're effective in making for memorable advertising.

Hyperbole: How to Use It Well

You wouldn't use hyperbole in formal writing, such as a business memo, a letter to a business, a scientific report, an essay, or an article for publication. It could have its place in fiction or other types of creative writing when used for effect. A little goes a long way when making use of tools like hyperbole. Also, limiting its use makes each hyperbolic description in the piece more effective. 

"The trick to effective hyperbole is to give an original twist to obviously a fanciful overstatement," author William Saffire advises. "'I'd walk a million miles for one of your smiles' would no longer impress Mammy, but Raymond Chandler's 'She was blonde enough to make a bishop kick a hole through a stained-glass window' still has that crisp crunch of freshness." ("How Not to Write: The Essential Misrules of Grammar." W.W. Norton, 1990.)

When composing hyperbolic statements, stay away from cliches, as those are just tired and overused—the opposite of fresh language. The description you create needs to bring forth surprise or delight in your audience at the image portrayed by the comparison or description. Don't be afraid to revise a sentence or passage numerous times before you hit on the hyperbolic statement or description you're going to use in the final version. Humor writing is complex, and it takes time to put just the right words together for the maximum effect. 

Hyperboles vs. Other Types of Figurative Language

Hyperboles are exaggerations of reality, over-the-top depictions that aren't meant to be taken literally. Metaphors and similes are also descriptions using figurative language, but they're not necessarily exaggerations.

• Simile : The lake is like glass.
• Metaphor : The lake is pure peace.
• Hyperbole : The lake was so still and clear that you could see through it down to the center of the Earth.
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Hyperbole Definition

What is hyperbole? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point, rather than be taken literally. For example, in the hyperbolic statement, "My backpack weighs a ton ," the speaker doesn't actually think the backpack weighs a ton, nor does he or she intend the listener to think so. The backpack-wearer simply wants to communicate, through the use of hyperbole, that he or she is carrying a very heavy load.

Some additional key details about hyperbole:

• Because of its ability to express larger-than-life emotion, hyperbole is common in novels, poetry, politics and advertising slogans.
• The opposite of hyperbole is litotes , deliberate understatement. In a rhetorical context—meaning, in the context of persuasive speaking and writing—hyperbole is sometimes called auxesis while litotes goes by the name meiosis.
• Different examples of hyperbole can be structured quite differently as sentences. The key to hyperbole is not how the sentence is structured, but whether, through purposeful exaggeration, it creates strong feelings or impressions or emphasizes a point.

How to Pronounce Hyperbole

Here's how to pronounce hyperbole: hi- per -buh-lee

Hyperbole vs. Simile

It can be hard to tell the difference between hyperbole and simile . A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things in order to make a description more vivid and interesting. Simile, further, is defined by the use of the words "like" or "as," which the writer uses to establish the comparison that he or she wants to make. An example of a simile is:

• She was beautiful like a rose.

Now consider this sentence from Richard Brautigan's novel, A Confederate General from Big Sur:

When Lee Mellon finished the apple he smacked his lips together like a pair of cymbals.

At first, the sentence seems like a simile because:

• It contains the word like.
• It's comparing two unlike things to enliven the author's description (lips and cymbals).

However, Brautigan's comparison also exaggerates the noise of Mellon's smacking lips by comparing it to the clash of cymbals. No matter how bad Mellon's table manners were, it would be impossible for him to achieve the volume of a pair of cymbals clashing with his lips, so isn't this also a hyperbole?

There is a simmering debate as to whether a figure of speech can be considered both hyperbole and simile simultaneously. With this particular example, you could make two arguments.

• That Brautigan's main goal is to vividly describe the sound of Mellon's smacking lips by drawing a fanciful comparison between lips and cymbals —the fact that this comparison amplifies the lip-smacking sound in an impossible way is secondary to his purpose. This would mean that you consider the sentence to be a simile .
• That Brautigan's main goal is to exaggerate the volume of Mellon's smacking lips, and that he does so in the form of a comparison, which happens to include the word "like." This would mean that you consider the sentence to be hyperbole .

Some grammar experts (and teachers) might ask you to decide on one definition: simile or hyperbole. However, it seems more important to understand the distinction between hyperbole and simile:

• Hyperbole focuses on exaggeration in order to emphasize a point.
• Simile focuses on a comparison to provide vivid description and make a reader see something in a new way.

That way, if you think a figure of speech is hyperbole and simile simultaneously, you can explain why it's both.

Hyperbole Examples

Hyperbole in literature.

Hyperbole often appears in literature, particularly prose literature like novels and stories.

Hyperbole in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five

Kurt Vonnegut frequently uses hyperbole in his novels, for both dramatic and comedic effect. In this example from Slaughterhouse-Five , Billy Pilgrim emerges from an underground slaughterhouse where he has been held prisoner by the Germans during the deadly World War II firebombing of Dresden:

There was a fire-storm out there. Dresden was one big flame. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn. It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

Vonnegut's hyperbolic language, particularly his description of Dresden as "one big flame," helps him convey the enormous devastation left by the bombs. So too does his statement that, "the sky was black with smoke." While smoke from the bombs probably darkened the sky, it's improbable that the sky was completely black with smoke—Vonnegut exaggerates to emphasize the extent of the damage, to capture what the damage felt like.

Hyperbole in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle

In Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut uses hyperbole to describe his character Felix Hoenikker, a fictional scientist who helped invent the atomic bomb. As in Slaughterhouse Five, hyperbole allows Vonnegut to write about violence on an enormous scale, and to describe the twisted genius who invented the bomb with vividness and emotion. In the following example, the novel's narrator talks with Dr. Hoenniker's former research supervisor in search of clues to Hoenniker's personality:

"I understand you were Dr. Hoenikker's supervisor during most of his professional life," I said to Dr. Breed on the telephone. "On paper," he said. "I don't understand," I said. "If I actually supervised Felix," he said, "then I'm ready now to take charge of volcanoes, the tides, and the migrations of birds and lemmings. The man was a force of nature no mortal could possibly control."

Of course, Dr. Breed isn't actually willing to take charge of volcanoes, tides, and other natural phenomena. He's comparing Felix Hoenikker to these forces of nature to show that Hoenniker is one of them: brilliant, self-contained and impossible to control.

Hyperbole in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth Bennet, the most free-spirited character in Pride and Prejudice , refuses Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal with a string of hyperbole:

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.

Elizabeth's closing statement, that Darcy is the "last man in the world" whom she would ever marry, is an obvious hyperbole. It's hard to believe that Elizabeth would rather marry, say, an axe murderer or a diseased pirate than Mr. Darcy. Even beyond the obvious exaggeration, Austen's use of hyperbole in this exchange hints at the fact that Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy are more complicated than she admits, even to herself. Austen drops various hints throughout the beginning of the novel that Elizabeth feels something beyond mere dislike for Darcy. Taken together with these hints, Elizabeth's hyperbolic statements seem designed to convince not only Darcy, but also herself, that their relationship has no future.

Hyperbole in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

The story of To Kill a Mockingbird takes place during the Great Depression in Maycomb County, Georgia: a sleepy town where nothing much ever happens:

People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County.

Lee's use of hyperbole to describe the town— nothing to buy, no money to buy it, nowhere to go—links the difficult economic situation to the townspeople's pace of life, as well as to the insular, isolated nature of this community.

Hyperbole in Politics

When described in hyperbolic terms, people and things can seem larger-than-life. For this reason, politicians who want to project a sense of confidence regarding a particular issue, or stir up sentiments for or against something—whether it's a candidate, an opponent, or an idea— often use hyperbole.

Hyperbole in John F. Kennedy's 1962 Nobel Prize Dinner Speech

In his remarks at a dinner celebrating the 1962 Nobel Prize winners, JFK paid them the following hyperbolic compliment:

I want to tell you how welcome you are to the White House. I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

In stating that all the prize winners' brilliance put together would not match Thomas Jefferson's genius, Kennedy wants to convey his great esteem for Jefferson as well as the prize winners, rather than set up a literal comparison or "battle of the brains."

Hyperbole in Donald Trump's Inaugural Address

In his speech at the inauguration, Donald Trump used hyperbole to describe the severity of the nation's problems, and to emphasize his compassion for those suffering under their impact:

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation—and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams ; and their success will be our success. We share one heart , one home, and one glorious destiny.

When he calls America's most pressing social issues "carnage," Trump isn't implying that we're living through a literal "massacre." Instead, he's using hyperbole to communicate the severe economic circumstances in certain communities. Similarly, "their dreams are our dreams," and "we share one heart," are both examples of hyperbole that Trump uses to express compassion.

Trump has used hyperbole throughout his career, fully aware of its rhetorical power. In his book The Art of Deal, cowritten by Tony Schwartz, Trump describes how he uses this figure of speech strategically:

“The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That’s why a little hyperbole never hurts. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It’s an innocent form of exaggeration—and a very effective form of promotion.”

Why Do Writers Use Hyperbole?

Hyperbole has been used since the days of ancient Greece, and its use has been criticized for just as long. Aristotle himself pronounced hyperbole worthy of use only by "angry" and "undisciplined" people. Around the year A.D. 95, though, the Roman rhetorician Quintilian wrote the following eloquent defense of hyperbole :

Hyperbole lies, but not so as to intend to deceive by lying. . . . It is in common use, as much among the unlearned as among the learned; because there is in all men a natural propensity to magnify or extenuate what comes before them, and no one is contented with the exact truth. But such departure from the truth is pardoned, because we do not affirm what is false. In a word, the hyperbole is a beauty, when the thing itself, of which we have to speak, is in its nature extraordinary; for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth, because the exact truth cannot be said; and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.

Writers and people in general exaggerate accounts of their experiences in an effort to communicate. Hyperbole gives them an opportunity to compensate for the fact that true, lived experiences often can't be satisfactorily reproduced in spoken or written language. Quintilian's defense of this figure of speech is quite profound—he argues that hyperbole isn't intended to deceive, or to express an exaggerated form of the truth, but instead to stand in for truths that are inexpressible.

Other Helpful Hyperbole Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Hyperbole: A brief explanation of hyperbole as a literary device and rhetorical strategy.
• The Dictionary Definition of Hyperbole: A basic definition and etymology of the term—it comes from the Greek hyper , "beyond" and ballein, "to throw."
• The 10 Greatest Hyperboles of All Time: An article from ThoughtCo listing 10 great hyperboles that span genres and centuries.
• The best Disney hyperboles : A video showing examples of hyperbole from Disney movies.

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Hyperbole: The Ultimate Guide to Exaggeration in Writing and Speech

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that is used to create a dramatic or exaggerated effect. It is often used in literature, poetry, and everyday speech to add emphasis to a statement or to make a point. Hyperbole is a powerful tool that can be used to evoke strong emotions in the listener or reader, and it is often used for comic or ironic effect.

Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that involves the use of exaggeration to make a point. It is often used in poetry and literature to create vivid imagery and to emphasize a particular point. Hyperbole can be used to express extreme emotions, such as love, anger, or sadness, and it can also be used to create a sense of humor or irony. In this article, we will explore the definition of hyperbole, its use in literature and everyday speech, and some examples of hyperbole in action.

Understanding Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that involves exaggerating a statement for emphasis or effect. It is a common figure of speech used in literature, speeches, and everyday conversations. The word hyperbole comes from the Greek word “huperbole,” meaning “excess.”

Hyperbole is often used to create a vivid image in the reader’s or listener’s mind. It can be used to express strong emotions, to make a point, or to add humor to a situation. For example, “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room” is a hyperbole used to emphasize the speaker’s frustration.

Hyperbole can also be used to make a comparison or to describe something in a more dramatic way. For instance, “She’s as skinny as a toothpick” is a hyperbole used to describe someone who is very thin.

It is important to note that hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally. It is an intentional exaggeration used to make a point or to create a certain effect. Hyperbole can be a powerful tool when used correctly, but it can also be confusing or misleading if used improperly.

In summary, hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggerating a statement for emphasis or effect. It is commonly used in literature, speeches, and everyday conversations to create vivid images, express strong emotions, make comparisons, or add humor to a situation. However, it is important to use hyperbole correctly and not to make exaggerated or false claims.

Origins of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that has been used for centuries to emphasize a point or exaggerate a situation. The word “hyperbole” comes from the Greek word “hyperbole,” which means “exaggeration.” In this section, we will explore the origins of hyperbole and its use in classical rhetoric and literature.

Classical Rhetoric

Hyperbole was first used in classical rhetoric as a way to emphasize a point and persuade an audience. The ancient Greeks and Romans used hyperbole to make their speeches more memorable and persuasive. They believed that by exaggerating a point, they could make it more memorable and more likely to be remembered by their audience.

One famous example of hyperbole in classical rhetoric is from Mark Antony’s speech in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” In this speech, Antony uses hyperbole to emphasize the brutality of Caesar’s death and to turn the Roman people against the conspirators who killed him.

Literary Usage

Hyperbole is also commonly used in literature to create vivid and memorable imagery. Writers use hyperbole to exaggerate a situation or character to make it more interesting or to create a more dramatic effect.

One famous example of hyperbole in literature is from “ The Odyssey ” by Homer. In this epic poem, Homer uses hyperbole to describe the strength and power of the hero, Odysseus. He describes Odysseus as being so strong that he could lift a boulder that no other man could lift.

In modern literature, hyperbole is often used for comedic effect. For example, in the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams, the character Ford Prefect describes the planet Earth as “mostly harmless,” which is a hyperbolic understatement.

In conclusion, hyperbole has been used for centuries in classical rhetoric and literature to emphasize a point, create vivid imagery, and entertain. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was used to persuade and impress audiences. Today, hyperbole continues to be a popular literary device used by writers and speakers alike.

Types of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to create an effect. It is often used to make a point, emphasize a feeling, or create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. There are many types of hyperbole, each with its unique purpose and effect.

Intensifying Hyperbole

Intensifying hyperbole is used to exaggerate the degree or intensity of something. It is often used to emphasize a point or to create a sense of urgency or importance. Examples of intensifying hyperbole include:

• “I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!”
• “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!”
• “I’m freezing to death out here!”

Diminishing Hyperbole

Diminishing hyperbole is used to exaggerate the opposite of intensifying hyperbole. It is often used to downplay the significance of something or to create a sense of humor or irony. Examples of diminishing hyperbole include:

• “I haven’t seen you in ages!”
• “I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
• “I’m not feeling too bad today.”

Comical Hyperbole

Comical hyperbole is used to create a sense of humor or to exaggerate a situation to the point of absurdity. It is often used in comedy, satire, or parody. Examples of comical hyperbole include:

• “I laughed so hard I fell off my chair!”
• “I’ve got a million things to do today!”
• “I’m so tired I could sleep for a week!”

Emotional Hyperbole

Emotional hyperbole is used to exaggerate an emotion or feeling. It is often used to create a sense of drama or to emphasize the importance of a situation. Examples of emotional hyperbole include:

• “I’m so happy I could cry!”
• “I’m so angry I could scream!”
• “I’m so sad I feel like I’m drowning!”

Usage in Literature

Hyperbole is a literary device that is widely used in literature. It adds emphasis and exaggeration to a statement, making it more striking and memorable to the reader. In literature, hyperbole can be used to convey a range of emotions, from humor to irony to tragedy.

In prose, hyperbole is often used to create vivid imagery and to emphasize a point. It can be used to describe a character, a setting, or an event in a more exaggerated way than would be possible in real life. For example, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” the character Jay Gatsby is described as having “an extraordinary gift for hope,” which is a hyperbolic statement that emphasizes Gatsby’s optimistic nature.

Another example of hyperbole in prose is in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” where the narrator describes the whale as “an inscrutable malice.” This hyperbolic statement adds to the sense of danger and mystery surrounding the whale, making it a more compelling character in the story.

In poetry, hyperbole is used to create a more heightened sense of emotion. Poets use hyperbole to describe their feelings in a way that is more powerful than simple description. For example, in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” the poet describes the daffodils as “a host, of golden daffodils,” which is a hyperbolic statement that emphasizes the beauty and abundance of the flowers.

Another example of hyperbole in poetry is in Emily Dickinson’s “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died,” where the poet describes the sound of a fly as “Blue – uncertain – stumbling Buzz,” which is a hyperbolic statement that adds to the sense of unease and uncertainty in the poem.

Overall, hyperbole is a powerful tool in literature that can be used to create more vivid and memorable writing. Whether used in prose or poetry, hyperbole adds to the emotional impact of a piece of writing, making it more engaging and compelling to the reader.

Hyperbole in Everyday Language

Hyperbole is a common figure of speech used in everyday language. It is a way to add emphasis, humor, or drama to a statement. Here are some examples of hyperbole in everyday language:

• “I’ve told you a million times!” – This is an exaggeration used to express frustration or annoyance. Obviously, the person has not actually told the other person a million times, but they want to emphasize how many times they have said something.
• “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” – This is an exaggeration used to express extreme hunger. Obviously, the person does not actually want to eat a horse, but they want to emphasize how hungry they are.
• “I’ve been waiting for hours!” – This is an exaggeration used to express impatience. Obviously, the person has not actually been waiting for hours, but they want to emphasize how long they feel they have been waiting.

Hyperbole is often used in advertising and marketing to make products seem more appealing. For example, a company might say that their product is “the best thing since sliced bread” to emphasize how great it is.

While hyperbole can be a useful tool for adding emphasis and humor to language, it is important to use it appropriately. Overusing hyperbole can make language seem insincere or over-the-top. It is important to strike a balance between using hyperbole effectively and using it excessively.

Impact of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a powerful tool in writing and speaking that can have a significant impact on the audience. In this section, we will discuss the emotional and persuasive impacts of hyperbole.

Emotional Impact

Hyperbole can create a strong emotional response in the reader or listener. By exaggerating the description of a situation or character, the writer or speaker can evoke a heightened emotional response from the audience. This can be particularly effective in creating a sense of drama or urgency, as the audience is more likely to become emotionally invested in the story.

For example, consider the following hyperbolic statement: “The entire world was watching as the young athlete took to the field.” This statement creates a sense of importance and pressure, as it suggests that the athlete is under intense scrutiny from a global audience. The hyperbole creates an emotional impact that can help to engage the reader or listener.

Persuasive Impact

Hyperbole can also be used to persuade the audience to take a particular action or adopt a particular viewpoint. By exaggerating the benefits of a particular course of action or the drawbacks of an alternative, the writer or speaker can make their argument more compelling.

For example, consider the following hyperbolic statement: “If we don’t act now, the entire planet will be destroyed.” This statement creates a sense of urgency and importance, and suggests that taking action is the only way to avoid a catastrophic outcome. By using hyperbole in this way, the writer or speaker can persuade the audience to take action.

It is important to note, however, that hyperbole should be used with care. Overuse of hyperbole can lead to a loss of credibility, as the audience may become skeptical of exaggerated claims. Additionally, hyperbole should not be used to make false or misleading claims, as this can lead to serious ethical concerns.

Criticism of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is often used to exaggerate a point and make it stand out. However, it can also be criticized for being misleading and manipulative. Here are some common criticisms of hyperbole:

Hyperbole can be misleading if it is taken too literally. For example, if a politician claims that their opponent is the “worst candidate in history,” it may not be true and could be seen as an exaggeration. This can lead to people making decisions based on false information.

Manipulative

Hyperbole can also be used to manipulate people’s emotions and opinions. Advertisers, for example, often use hyperbole to make their products seem more desirable than they really are. This can lead to people buying products they don’t need or can’t afford.

Hyperbole can lose its impact if it is overused. If everything is described as “amazing” or “incredible,” then those words lose their meaning. This can make it harder for people to distinguish between what is truly exceptional and what is just average.

Lack of credibility

Hyperbole can also damage the credibility of the person using it. If someone is constantly exaggerating, then people may start to doubt their honesty and integrity. This can be especially damaging for politicians and other public figures.

In this article, we have explored the concept of hyperbole, which is an exaggerated statement or claim not meant to be taken literally. We have seen that hyperbole is a common figure of speech used in everyday language, literature, and even politics.

Hyperbole is often used to add emphasis or to make a point more memorable. It can also be used for comedic effect or to make a statement more persuasive. However, it is important to use hyperbole judiciously and not to make exaggerated or false claims that could mislead or deceive others.

We have also seen that hyperbole is closely related to other figures of speech, such as metaphor and irony. While hyperbole involves exaggeration, metaphor involves a comparison between two unlike things, and irony involves saying one thing but meaning another.

Overall, hyperbole is a powerful tool in the writer’s arsenal, but it should be used with care. When used effectively, hyperbole can make a statement more memorable and persuasive, but when used carelessly, it can undermine the credibility of the speaker or writer.

In conclusion, we hope that this article has provided you with a better understanding of hyperbole and its uses in language and literature. By using hyperbole judiciously, you can add emphasis and impact to your writing, while avoiding the pitfalls of exaggeration and falsehood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hyperbole used for in literature?

Hyperbole is a literary device used to create emphasis and evoke strong emotions in the reader. It is often used in poetry to describe things in a more exaggerated and embellished way, making comparisons that are not meant to be taken literally. Authors use hyperbole to add depth and meaning to their work, making it more memorable and impactful.

What is the difference between hyperbole and exaggeration?

Hyperbole is a specific type of exaggeration that is used for emphasis and effect. It is a deliberate overstatement that is not meant to be taken literally. Exaggeration, on the other hand, is a broader term that can refer to any statement that is stretched beyond the truth. While hyperbole is used for literary effect, exaggeration can be used in everyday language and can sometimes be misleading or deceptive.

Can hyperbole be used in formal writing?

While hyperbole is often associated with more creative forms of writing, such as poetry and fiction, it can also be used effectively in formal writing. When used appropriately, hyperbole can add emphasis and impact to arguments, making them more persuasive and memorable. However, it is important to use hyperbole sparingly and only when it is appropriate for the context.

How can hyperbole be used effectively in persuasive writing?

Hyperbole can be a powerful tool in persuasive writing, particularly when used to create emotional appeals. By exaggerating the consequences of a particular action or decision, a writer can create a sense of urgency and importance that can motivate readers to take action. However, it is important to use hyperbole ethically and avoid making false or exaggerated claims.

What are some common hyperboles used in everyday language?

Hyperbole is a common feature of everyday language, particularly in colloquial speech. Some common examples include phrases like “I’m starving,” “I’ve told you a million times,” and “It’s taking forever.” These hyperboles are often used to add emphasis and humor to everyday conversations.

What is the purpose of using hyperbole in poetry?

In poetry, hyperbole is used to create vivid and memorable images, making the language more powerful and evocative. By exaggerating certain aspects of a scene or emotion, a poet can create a stronger emotional impact on the reader. Hyperbole can also be used to create a sense of irony or humor, adding depth and complexity to the work.

Last Updated on August 10, 2023

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Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of hyperbole.

Hyperbole is the use of obvious and deliberate exaggeration . Hyperbolic statements are often extravagant and not meant to be taken literally. These statements are used to create a strong impression and add emphasis. We use hyperbole frequently in everyday language, saying things like “I’m so hungry I could eat a cow,” or “We had to wait forever for the bus.” Hyperbole sometimes makes use simile or metaphor to create the effect of exaggeration, such as “He’s as strong as an ox.”

The definition of hyperbole comes from the Greek for “to throw beyond” or “exaggeration.”

Common Examples of Hyperbole

As noted above, there are many examples of hyperbole in common speech. One of the most frequently used hyperboles in English is the word “literally”—many people in contemporary speech use this word when they actually mean the opposite, i.e., figuratively. An example would be “I was literally starving.” In this case, the speaker is probably not suffering from malnutrition, but instead was merely quite hungry, and thus was only figuratively starving. There was some controversy recently when definition of the word “literally” was updated to include the definition “to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling.” Thus, “literally” has become one of the primary ways to exaggerate and hyperbolize a certain statement.

Here are some more common examples of hyperbole:

• The suitcase weighed a ton.
• I’m so angry, I could kill him!
• I’ve asked you not to do that a thousand times.
• If he doesn’t call by tonight, I will absolutely die.
• She’s as skinny as a toothpick.

Some jokes also take advantage of hyperbole, like the “Your Mama” jokes. For example:

• Your mama is so lazy she got a remote controller to operate her remote.
• Your mama is so old her social security number is 1.
• Your mama is so ugly they didn’t give her a costume when she auditioned for Star Wars.

Significance of Hyperbole in Literature

Authors use hyperbole to evoke strong feelings or emphasize a point. Hyperbole can be used to overstate any type of situation or emotion, and can be used humorously or seriously. Hyperbole is most often found in poetry, as poets use it to make comparisons and describe things in more embellished terms. However, it is commonly used in prose and plays as well.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

The forward violet thus did I chide: Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells, If not from my love’s breath?

(“ Sonnet 99” by William Shakespeare)

In this sonnet, Shakespeare imagines that the sweet smell of a violet has come from his lover’s breath. This is a clear overstatement, as it is impossible for nature to have taken its smell from the lover. In fact, his lover’s breath is almost surely not as sweet-smelling as a violet, yet Shakespeare’s love overcomes reason. This hyperbole example gives us greater insight into Shakespeare’s all-encompassing love for the subject of the poem.

TRUE! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why  will  you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

(“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe)

In his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allen Poe writes from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. This narrator displays hyperbolic tendencies throughout the story, as he is subject to paranoia and delusions. This excerpt is the first paragraph of the story; the narrator images himself able to hear “all things in heaven and in the earth,” as well as “many things in hell.” Clearly, as an audience we know that the narrator is not able to hear all things. Yet this belief plays a key role in the story, as ultimately the narrator conflates his hyperbolic imagination with reality.

It wasn’t safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

( Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut)

Kurt Vonnegut survived the fire bombing of Dresden during World War II, and used those experiences for his novel Slaughterhouse-Five . In this excerpt, the protagonist emerges from his shelter to find total destruction, and makes the hyperbolic statement that “Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals.” Vonnegut uses hyperbole here to try to convey how completely the city was ruined. Of course there was more than just mineral matter in Dresden after the bombing, yet Vonnegut wants the reader to imagine how drastic the change was. Note that while this sentence is hyperbolic, it is very plausible that the sky was indeed black with smoke and that the stones were still hot twenty-four hours later, and thus the rest of the description is not hyperbolic.

My mother never forgave my father for killing himself, especially at such an awkward time and in a public park, that spring when I was waiting to be born. She locked his name in her deepest cabinet and would not let him out, though I could hear him thumping. When I came down from the attic with the pastel portrait in my hand of a long-lipped stranger with a brave moustache and deep brown level eyes, she ripped it into shreds without a single word and slapped me hard. In my sixty-fourth year I can feel my cheek still burning.

(“The Portrait” by Stanley Kunitz)

Stanley Kunitz uses many examples of hyperbole in his striking poem, “The Portrait.” The two most notable hyperboles are Kunitz’s assertion that he “could hear him thumping” and “In my sixty-fourth year / I can feel my cheek / still burning.” (Note how similar the former hyperbole is to Edgar Allen Poe’s madman who can hear everything, including a beating heart long after it has stopped beating). The latter hyperbole demonstrates just how strong of an impression his mother’s slap left on him. Though his cheek is no longer literally burning, the memory of it is as strong as ever.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember, it is not poised on the tip of your tongue, not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen. It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall…

(“Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins)

Billy Collins uses hyperbole in his poem “Forgetfulness” in imagining that a forgotten name is so far from the speaker’s memory “it has floated away down a dark mythological river.” Collins then extends this hyperbolic effect by saying that the total loss of memory includes even the name of the river.

Test Your Knowledge of Hyperbole

1. Choose the correct hyperbole definition: A. A literal statement. B. Intentional and obvious exaggeration. C. A curved line.

2. Which of the following excerpts from Shakespeare’s Macbeth contains examples of hyperbole?

MACBETH: Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.

MACBETH: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?

WITCH: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.

3. Consider the following excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The Concord Hymn . ”

Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world.

Why is this an example of hyperbole? A. It is not possible to be sure of exactly where the embattled farmers once stood. B. Everyone in the world was literally able to hear a gunshot at the same time. C. It is not possible to hear a shot all the way around the world; instead this means that there were widespread consequences of the shot.

What Is Hyperbole? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples

Hyperbole definition.

Hyperbole  (hi-PURR-boh-lee), from the ancient Greek  huperbolē , “to throw beyond,” is a quantitative or qualitative exaggeration used for dramatic, poetic, or humorous effect. It’s a common  figure of speech  that adds flavor to writing. Writers use it to engage readers with humor or catch them off-guard with an unbelievable image.

Examples of Hyperbole

To create hyperbole, start with a plain and true statement, then expand until it is no longer plausible. Consider this example:

Fatima is hungry— really  hungry—and her favorite snack is wheat crackers. She might tell a friend, “I’m so hungry, I could eat the entire cracker aisle at the supermarket!” Obviously she’s exaggerating; not even a competitive eater could eat an entire aisle of food. Fatima is simply trying to get her friend to understand that she is much hungrier than usual.

Some hyperbole is so prevalent in everyday speech, people might no longer recognize it:

• “Our professor is  older than dirt .”
• “This backpack  weighs a ton .”
• “This is the  best day ever .”
• “I was in line at the RMV  forever .”

Hyperbole and Other Figures of Speech

Hyperbole vs. Simile

A  simile  is a figure of speech base on comparison, whereas hyperbole is based on exaggeration. To say that someone is like a saint is simile; saying they are more patient than a saint is hyperbole.

Hyperbole vs. Litotes

While hyperbole makes a mountain out of a molehill,  litotes  understate a position by contradicting the opposite stance. While taking a delicious sip of coffee in a new cafe, one might declare that it’s “not too bad.” That’s litotes. Saying the coffee is “the sweet nectar of the gods” is hyperbole.

Hyperbole vs. Meiosis

Where hyperbole exaggerates, meiosis minimizes. Meiosis diminishes the gravity or severity of something, either satirically, politically, or even affectionately. Referring to an unplanned pregnancy as a “surprise” or a war as a “conflict” are examples of meiosis.

Hyperbole vs. Idiom

Idioms  are like hyperboles; both are phrases that shouldn’t be taken literally. For example, saying it’s “raining cats and dogs” doesn’t mean four-legged friends are actually falling from the sky. Most English-speaking people understand this means the rain is heavy. Despite the overstatement, this idiom is not an exaggeration because it has a meaning outside its actual words. With hyperbole, statements make sense; they are simply blown out of proportion. So, saying “It’s raining so hard, we need an ark,” which evokes the biblical story of Noah, would be hyperbole.

Hyperbole in Popular Culture

Hyperbole has always pervaded human communication, and most often, it is applied to expressions of romantic love. Prevalent in all media, this language often concerns fantastic-to-impossible feats the author or speaker would complete for their loved one.

In the film  The Princess Bride , based on  the novel of the same title , Princess Buttercup is accused of not being truly devoted to her lost love, Westley. Infuriated by this claim, she says “I died that day,” referring to when she learned Westley was killed by the Drear Pirate Roberts.

Love-related hyperbole is very common in pop music as well. In “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” the Proclaimers pledge to walk a total of 1,000 miles to get to their beloved(s). Meatloaf promises to move mountains according to his sweetheart’s whim in “I’d Lie for You (and That’s the Truth).” In his song “Grenade,” Bruno Mars claims he would catch a grenade, throw his hand on a blade, jump in front of a train, and take a bullet straight through his brain for his beloved—someone who, unfortunately, would not make the same vows to him.

Hyperbole in Folklore

Many legendary characters in  folklore , build up over time via hyperbole, are supposedly based on real people. These kinds of stories are considered “tall tales”—hyperbolic narratives to honor local heroes—which are most commonly spread in North American, European, and Australian cultures.

Take real-life French-Canadian lumberjack Fabian Fournier, believed to be the inspiration for the Paul Bunyan folk tale. Bunyan is said to be a gigantic, superhuman lumberjack who harvested millions of timber wood and had a giant ox for a pet. But was Fournier really six feet tall (some tales even say eight)? It’s possible. However, he probably didn’t create the Grand Canyon with his axe, and he certainly wasn’t delivered to his parents by five storks, as other stories claim.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

1. Bhartrihari, “A Man May Tear a Jewel”

Composed in Sanskrit, this short but dense  poem  uses superhuman exaggerations to illustrate how difficult it is to change the mind of an ignorant person who believes they are right:

A man may tear a jewel

From a sea monster’s jaws,

Cross a tumultuous sea

Of raging tides,

Or twine garlandwise

A wrathful serpent on his head.

But no man can alter

The thoughts of an obstinate fool.

According to the poet, one would have an easier time fighting a sea monster for a treasure or wrapping an aggressive snake around their head than convincing someone that they’re wrong.

2. William Shakespeare,  Macbeth

After killing King Duncan in Act II, Scene 2, Macbeth realizes there is no way to absolve himself of his sin:

Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

The guilt makes Macbeth feel as though his hands will never again be clean—a hyperbolic sentiment in itself. He emphasizes this by saying that if he attempted to “wash his hands,” he would turn the green sea red. This powerful hyperbole, which marks the apex of the play’s rising action, underlines the guilt and disgust Macbeth experiences after killing King Duncan.

3. Judith Ortiz Cofer, “Quinceañera”

In this poem about navigating puberty, family, and society’s expectations of womanhood, Cofer uses vibrant  imagery  and  figurative language  to convey her discomfort and confusion:

…                                       My hair

has been nailed back with my mother’s

black hairpins to my skull. Her hands

stretched my eyes open as she twisted

braids into a tight circle at the nape

of my neck.                                    …

In this  stanza , Cofer describes her mother’s hairstyling technique as nailing the hair to her skull. Obviously hyperbolic, Cofer is conveying how uncomfortable the application of hairpins and braiding of her hair feels.

4. Joseph Conrad,  Heart of Darkness

In his (in)famous novella, Conrad seems to praise and criticize imperialism at once. After 30 days at sea, Marlow, Conrad’s narrator/protagonist, encounters a group of Africans who have worked themselves sick to build a railroad and have been left for dead.

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

While 10 days is much shorter than an eternity, Conrad is using hyperbole to describe his protagonist’s discomfort. Perhaps Marlow, a willing participant in exploitative colonialism, feels guilty when seeing this system in action. Thus, his time at the station seems to drag on.

5. Kurt Vonnegut,  Slaughterhouse Five

This intensely dark comedy is based on the author’s real experiences in World War II. Vonnegut was interned in Dresden, Germany, and survived the city’s bombing, which killed around 25,00 civilians.

There was a fire-storm out there. Dresden was one big flame. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn.

It wasn’t safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

It almost seems strange to call this hyperbole, as 90 percent of the city’s center was destroyed. However, Dresden wasn’t a literal “big flame,” and the sky, while darkened by smoke, likely wasn’t entirely blacked out. Vonnegut is using exaggeration to help the readers understand how intense and horrifying that moment was.

Further Resources on Hyperbole

Learn about the rich, colorful hyperbole of “the dozens” (aka “your mama” jokes) in  Talking ‘Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap  by  Elijah Wald .

Check out “ What Is Hyperbole? ” from the YouTube channel  Flocabulary , which uses cute cartoons and catchy hip-hop music to educate viewers about literary terms.

Christian Burgers’s article “ HIP: A Method for Linguistic Hyperbole Identification in Discourse ” proposes a test to determine whether or not a figure of speech is hyperbolic.

Related Terms

65 Hyperbole Examples: Definition + How to Use It Effectively

• Updated: 03/04/24
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From everyday conversations to the works of Shakespeare, hyperbole examples are used as figurative language everywhere, adding color and intensity to language.

It can be a very effective literary device for expressing emotion and conveying ideas. Hyperbolic statements may be funny, serious, or even sarcastic — it all depends on context and tone of voice.

But what is a hyperbole, exactly? How is it used? And how on Earth do you pronounce hyperbole?

This article will dive deep into the world of hyperbole, providing 55 vivid examples and explaining how to wield this technique effectively to enrich your own writing.

We’ll also cover the hyperbole definition and some tips to use hyperbolic language effectively.

Let’s embark on this exciting linguistic journey!

What Is a Hyperbole?

The word hyperbole (pronounced hi-PER-buh-lee) is a literary device where exaggeration is used to create strong feelings or emphasize a point.

Hyperbole often uses exaggerated words and phrases to make a point but aren’t literally true.

For example, when someone says “I’m starving!” after skipping breakfast, they don’t actually mean that they are about to die from hunger.

A hyperbole can be playful, humorous, or even heartfelt but always has the intent to bring attention to whatever the writer wants to emphasize.

Common Hyperbole Examples

Here are some common hyperbole examples found in everyday speech and conversation:

• “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!”
• “He is as strong as an ox!”
• “That was so expensive it nearly broke the bank!”
• “She was shouting louder than thunder!”
• “I’m so full I could burst.”

You obviously can’t literally eat a horse or be as strong as an ox (unless you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger).

As you can see, hyperbole uses exaggeration to denote extreme emotions.

You might hear hyperbole uttered when someone is feeling particularly overwhelmed, frustrated, happy, or even scared.

55 Examples of Hyperbole

Hyperbolic language can be found in a variety of contexts. Let’s explore each one with some popular examples of hyperbole.

Hyperbole in Literature

Literature is full of hyperbole – from novels to poetry to historical texts.

Here are some great examples from famous works used to create emotion in stories and characters:

• “My love for you is deeper than the ocean” — Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• “I gasped an entire ocean of air” — The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
• Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute” — Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• “He was as tall as a mountain” — The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• “My love for you burns brighter than the sun” — Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• “The waves were roaring like a lion” – Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• “I felt a chill that stood my hairs on end” — Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• “It was so cold I nearly froze to death” – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• “My heart was pounding like a hammer” – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• “His eyes were like two stars burning bright” — The Odyssey by Homer
• “She was so beautiful, she could have stopped the sun from setting” — The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• “Their laughter was like a thousand bells ringing” — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• “I am so tired, I could sleep for a hundred years” — Sleeping Beauty by Grimm Brothers
• “He was running like the wind” — The Iliad by Homer
• “Her heart was as heavy as a mountain” — The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Hyperbole in Everyday Conversation

Hyperbole examples can also be found all around us, in everyday speech and casual conversations.

The following examples are some that you’ve probably heard before:

• “I had to walk a million miles to get home”
• “I was so hungry I could eat a cow!”
• “My brain is fried from all this studying”
• “That cost me an arm and a leg!”
• “I’m so tired I can’t keep my eyes open”
• “It’s so hot, I’m melting!”
• “My stomach is in knots”
• “He’s talking a mile a minute!”
• “I’ve told you a million times!”
• ”This is taking forever!”
• “That was so easy, a baby could do it!”
• “I worked my fingers to the bone”
• “It’s raining cats and dogs out there!”
• “I have a million things to do today!”
• “I’m so mad my blood is boiling!”

Hyperbole in Film and Television

Hyperbole can often be found in film and television, used to make dialogue more interesting and engaging.

Here are a few examples:

• “I’m so angry, I could explode!” – Monsters Inc.
• “If my heart was a prison, you would be the prisoner” – The Notebook
• “My heart is breaking into a million pieces” – Love Actually
• “It was so loud it could wake the dead!” – The Simpsons
• “That’s enough to make your head spin!” – The Office (US)
• “I’m so scared I could die” – The Goonies
• “My heart is pounding a mile a minute!” – Grey’s Anatomy
• “I’m so nervous I could throw up!” – Mean Girls
• “My eyes are burning a hole through you” – Breaking Bad
• “I’m so angry, I could spit fire!” – Despicable Me
• “That was the longest day of my life” – How I Met Your Mother
• “We were running faster than the speed of light” – The Matrix
• “My heart was beating faster than a drum” – Avatar
• “It was so funny I almost died laughing!” – The Big Bang Theory
• “It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing jackets” – The Simpsons

Hyperbole in Songs and Music

Hyperbole is so often found in popular music, as it can help convey intense emotion and deepen the impact of lyrics.

Here’s a list of hyperbole examples used in songs:

• “Burning brighter than the sun” — Rihanna
• “My love is like a river” — Alanis Morissette
• “Take me higher than I’ve ever been before” — Alicia Keys
• “I can’t live without you by my side” — Mariah Carey
• “It feels like a million miles away” — Coldplay
• “You turn my world around” — Michael Jackson
• “I’m so high I can hear heaven” — Katy Perry
• “My heart is beating like a drum” — Justin Bieber
• “I could travel the world and never find another you” — Ed Sheeran
• “My love is like a flower” — Miley Cyrus
• “My love for you is like a river running wild” – River by Leon Bridges
• “This love is so deep, it goes beyond the sea” — Bruno Mars
• “Why don’t you take me for a ride? Go faster than the speed of light” – Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
• “It felt like a million butterflies were flying around my heart” – When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars
• “We were walking on the moon” — The Script

10 Tips for How to Use Hyperbole Effectively

When you’re writing for an audience, it’s important to think about how the language you’re using will be received.

Hyperbole can be effective tools for communicating an emotion, but if an exaggeration is overused it, can become tedious, too dramatic, or even offensive.

Here are some tips for using hyperbole effectively:

• Use sparingly – too many hyperbole in close succession will drown out the impact of each one
• Use for comedic effect – when used correctly, hyperbole can create an interesting contrast and add humor to your writing
• Stick to one emotion per sentence – mixing multiple emotions in a single sentence can make the meaning less clear
• Make sure it fits the context – if you’re writing about something serious, over-the-top hyperbole might not be appropriate
• Don’t use clichés – they can be unoriginal and detract from the impact of your writing
• Use specific details – instead of saying “I was so hungry I could eat a cow”, try something more unique like “I was so hungry I could eat an entire bakery”
• Stick to facts when relevant – if you are writing about something that actually happened, don’t embellish the facts with exaggerated language
• Use a variety of hyperbole – if you’re using multiple hyperbole in one piece of writing, make sure to mix it up so they don’t all sound the same
• Don’t be afraid to get creative – hyperbole can help you express abstract ideas in a concrete way
• Be aware of your audience – consider who you’re writing for and what kind of language might be more or less appropriate

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your use of hyperbole adds to the impact of your writing without becoming overly exaggerated or clichéd.

Literary Terms Related to Hyperbole

There are a number of other literary terms in figurative language related to hyperbole that have been used throughout literature.

• Meiosis – Meiosis is an understatement, often used for comedic or ironic purposes. An example would be saying “I’m just a little bit tired” when you’re exhausted beyond belief.
• Colloquialism – colloquialism is a casual phrase or expression that isn’t used in formal writing, e.g., “It’s raining buckets”
• Catachresis – Catachresis is a type of metaphorical expression that uses an incorrect term in order to provide emphasis or vivid description. For example, saying “He was so mad he could spit nails” is a catachresis because it implies more power and intensity than what is possible with words alone.
• Oxymoron – An oxymoron is a combination of two contradictory terms, such as “the living dead” or “sadly happy.”
• Irony – Irony is the use of words that contrast with their literal meaning, often for an amusing or sarcastic effect. An example of irony would be saying “That was a great vacation!” after spending two weeks in miserable weather conditions.
• Antithesis – Antithesis is the juxtaposition of two ideas in order to create contrast. For example, saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” is an example of antithesis.
• Euphemism – A euphemism is a milder and often more polite way of expressing something. For example, instead of saying “he died” you might say “he passed away.”
• Personification – Personification is a figure of speech that gives human traits or qualities to non-human objects, such as saying “the wind was laughing at me” or “the trees are dancing in the breeze.”
• Idiom – an idiom is a phrase that means something different from what its literal words suggest, e.g., “it’s raining cats and dogs”
• Anthropomorphism – Anthropomorphism is similar to personification, but instead of giving human traits to non-human objects, it gives human traits to animals or even gods. An example would be saying “the dog was crying in his sleep” or “the sun smiled down on us.”
• Simile – A simile is a comparison between two unlike objects, usually joined by the words “like” or “as.” For example, saying “my heart was beating like a drum” is a simile.
• Imagery – imagery is language that evokes the senses and appeals to the reader’s imagination, e.g., “The sky was an ocean of stars”
• Metaphor – a metaphor is an indirect comparison between two unlike things, e.g., “my heart was a broken mirror”

FAQs About Hyperbole

Here are 10 examples of hyperbole:

• There is enough food here to feed a village.
• This bag weighs a ton.
• I’ve told you a million times.
• His new house is as big as a castle.
• She is as heavy as an elephant.
• I’m dying of laughter.
• I walked a thousand miles to get here.
• He’s as skinny as a toothpick.
• This is the worst day of my life.
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!

A hyperbole for happy is an extreme exaggeration for joy or happiness. For example, “I’m so happy I could jump for joy!” This type of expression is often used to emphasize just how excited or delighted one feels in a particular situation. Another popular example of a hyperbole for happy is “I’m on cloud nine!” which implies extreme bliss and contentment.

An example of a fast hyperbole is “I ran faster than the speed of light!” This type of expression is used to emphasize how quickly something was done in a particular situation, even if it was not actually that fast. Another popular example of a fast hyperbole is “I finished this entire task in the blink of an eye!” which implies incredible speed or agility.

One hyperbole is an exaggeration used to emphasize a point or emotion. For example, someone might say “It was so hot outside I thought I might melt!” This is an example of a hyperbole used to emphasize how hot it felt outside. Another example is when you take a simple math test and say “That test was harder than rocket science!”

Final Thoughts on Hyperbole Examples

The hyperbole definition is an exaggeration used to emphasize a point or emotion. These exaggerated statements are found everywhere from literature to TV and film and everyday conversations.

Hyperbole is often used as figurative language in writing and speech to create a heightened effect, from comedic to dramatic.

When properly executed, hyperbole can be very effective at communicating certain ideas or emotions.

When using hyperbole in your own writing, keep the tips mentioned earlier in mind. Be sure to use them sparingly and make sure they fit the context of your writing.

Remember, hyperbole can be an effective tool for communicating with your audience, so make sure to use them wisely!

With practice, you can become a master of the art of using hyperbole!

Definition of Hyperbole Hyperbole, derived from a Greek phrase meaning “over-casting,” is a determine of speech that includes an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our daily speech. For instance, whilst you meet a pal after an extended time, you say, “It’s been ages when you consider that I closing noticed you.” You won't have met him for three or 4 hours, or a day, however the use of the word “ages” exaggerates this statement to feature emphasis for your wait. Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation. Some other commonplace Hyperbole examples are given below. Common Examples of Hyperbole My grandmother is as old because the hills. Your suitcase weighs a ton! She is as heavy as an elephant! I am dying of shame. I am looking to solve a million problems these days. It is vital not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. It does make a comparison, like simile and metaphor. Rather, hyperbole has a humorous effect created by means of an overstatement. Let us see a few examples from Classical English literature wherein hyperbole become used successfully. Short Examples of Hyperbole A ton of worry was lifted from the beggar’s returned while he obtained the alms. He noticed a man as tall a power poll. He saw his youth buddy after ages. The climate changed into so hot that literally the whole lot was on fire. The boy was loss of life to get a new school bag. The teacher instructed his students no longer to repeat that mistake for the umpteenth time, however to no avail. He become in this sort of hurry that he drove his vehicle at a bazillion miles in line with hour. The minister advised the visitors that the couple’s friendship was deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey. The blacksmith’s hand became harder than the rock. Their headmaster turned into omnipresent, as he seemed to be all over the college all the time. The businessman become so busy that he turned into attending to a million calls simultaneously. The antique man turned into older than the Himalayas. The mule is able to lift lots of weight uphill. His classmates laughed at him, pronouncing he had a pea-sized brain. John changed into referred to as the elephant of the elegance for his clumsiness. Hyperbole Examples in Literature Example #1: Babe the Blue Ox (American Folklore) In American folk lore, Paul Bunyan’s memories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates wintry weather by means of announcing: “Well now, one iciness it turned into so cold that every one the geese flew backward and all of the fish moved south or even the snow grew to become blue. Late at night time, it got so frigid that every one spoken phrases froze strong afore they may be heard. People had to wait till sunup to find out what folks were speakme approximately the night before.” Freezing of the spoken words at night in wintry weather, and then warming them up in the warmth of the sun during the day are examples of hyperbole, which has been effectively used in this brief excerpt from an American folktale. Example #2: Macbeth (By William Shakespeare) From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act II, Scene II: “Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the inexperienced one red.” Macbeth, the tragic hero, feels the unbearable prick of his conscience after killing the king. He regrets his sin, and believes that even the oceans of the finest magnitude can not wash the blood of the king off his hands. We can see the effective use of hyperboles in the given lines. Example #3: As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden) “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 inside the street, I’ll love you until the sea Is folded and hung up to dry.” The use of hyperbole can be seen within the above lines within the meeting of China and Africa, the jumping of the river over the mountain, the singing of salmon in the street, and the sea being folded and hung up to dry are exaggerations, no longer possible in actual life. Example #4: The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid) “He cried all night time, and dawn determined him nevertheless there, even though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wood frame. But these were so loud that they will be heard via the far off hills …” The crying of Pinocchio all night time till his tears have become dry is an instance of Hyperbole. Example #5: The Heart of Darkness (By Joseph Conrad) “I had to wait within the station for ten days – an eternity.” The act of ready ten days seemed to final all the time and in no way end. Example #6: Two Sunflowers Move inside the Yellow Room (By William Blake) “Ah, William, we’re weary of weather,” Said the sunflowers, shining with dew. “Our traveling conduct have worn-out us. Can you provide us a room with a view?” They organized themselves at the window And counted the steps of the sun, And they each took root inside the carpet Where the topaz tortoises run. This is a poem via William Blake in which he uses exaggerated personification of sunflowers, which is corresponding to hyperbole. Example #7: A Red, Red Rose (By Robert Burns) “As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I; And I will love thee nonetheless, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry. Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: O I will love thee nonetheless, my dear, While the sands o’ lifestyles shall run.” The poet Robert Burns gives many examples of hyperbole in this piece. The poet says that he would really like his beloved until the seas are dried up, and the rocks are melted. Function of Hyperbole The above arguments make clear the usage of hyperbole. In our day by day conversation, we use hyperbole to create an amusing effect, or to emphasise our meaning. However, in literature it has very severe implications. By using hyperbole, a author or a poet makes not unusual human feelings brilliant and severe to such an extent that they do now not remain ordinary. In literature, utilization of hyperbole develops contrasts. When one thing is defined with an over-statement, and the other thing is offered normally, a striking assessment is developed. This technique is hired to catch the reader’s attention.

• Alliteration
• Anachronism
• Antimetabole
• Aposiopesis
• Characterization
• Colloquialism
• Connotation
• Deus Ex Machina
• Didacticism
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Flash Forward
• Foreshadowing
• Internal Rhyme
• Juxtaposition
• Non Sequitur
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Poetic Justice
• Point of View
• Portmanteau
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Superlative
• Synesthesia
• Tragicomedy
• Tragic Flaw
• Verisimilitude

• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write a Hyperbole

I. What is Hyperbole?

Hyperbole (pronounced ‘high-purr-bo-lee’) is a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis or as a way of making a description more creative and humorous. It is important to note that hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally; the audience knows it’s an exaggeration.

For example:

That suitcase weighed a ton !

In this example, the speaker claims that a suitcase weighed a ton–two thousand pounds! Of course, this does not mean that the suitcase literally weighed a ton. The speaker is using hyperbole in order to emphasize that the suitcase feels very heavy .

II. Examples of Hyperbole

Here are a few more examples of hyperbole often used in everyday conversation:

She’s going to die of embarrassment.

This does not mean that the girl is going to get sick or that her heart will stop due to embarrassment. Instead, the speaker is using hyperbole to emphasize just how embarrassed she’s going to feel.

 Spring break will never  come.

This example, like “I haven’t seen you in a million years!” serves to emphasize how long a period of time feels .  Sometimes, especially in school, it feels as if time has slowed down and vacation will never come. We know this isn’t true, but we use hyperbole to communicate how things feel to us.

III. The Importance of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is often used in day-to-day speech. For example, upon seeing your friend after a long absence, you may say, “I haven’t seen you in a million years!” You and your friend both know that this is not literally the case. Here, hyperbole is used to emphasize how long it feels since you last saw your friend. It uses exaggeration to emphasize a certain characteristic of something, and especially how it feels. Hyperbole can be used to communicate all kinds of feelings and amuse or surprise people with the creativity of a description.

Hyperbole is also often used in creative writing just to make a description more amusing or creative.  For example, it is more interesting to say “she had a brain the size of planet” than “she was really smart.”  It is always better to describe something in an original way and hyperbole is a great opportunity to inject feeling and humor into a description.

IV. Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

We often use hyperbole in everyday speech, but we also use it in prose and poetry. For example, in love poetry, the speaker may use hyperbole to emphasize their intense passion and admiration for the beloved.

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 things will happen, so it implies that the author will love her forever. W.H. Auden is using hyperbole to emphasize the strength of his love.

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 means an eternity, forever, but it felt like it.

V. Examples of Hyperbole in Pop Cultur e

Figures of speech are not only for classic literature. They are also used in popular culture.

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

Mints so strong they come in a metal box.

This description implies that the mints are so strong that they need to be contained in a metal box rather than paper or plastic packaging. Of course this isn’t literally true, but it emphasize just how strong this breath mint is. Such a description is funny in its exaggeration and may attract those looking for a stronger mint.

For another set of hyperboles, take a glance at Apple 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 high-flying plans for their iPad.  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 entirely how you make people feel that causes them to spend their money on something and advertisers know this, so hyperbole is their best friend.

Hyperbole fills our daily conversation, advertisements, movies, TV shows, and music. It is a figure of speech that makes the world sound more colorful and stimulating and can be used to convey how strongly you feel about anything.

In “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift claims:

Boys only want love if it’s torture.

Swift is not claiming that men want to be literally tortured 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 powerful figure of speech to emphasize the power of the feeling of love which has seized him.

VI. Related Terms

(Terms: simile and metaphor)

When using simile, a writer compares two different things using the words “like” or “as.” “As” can be used to indicate that two things are similar in some particular respect, but otherwise different, such as in “she’s as smart as Einstein.” Hyperbole also emphasizes a particular characteristic of something . However, simile is different from hyperbole in that it must use a “like” or “as” comparison and does not necessarily (but may) use exaggeration.  For example, “she’s as smart as a teacher” is also a simile, but maybe not a hyperbole.

For example, “She is like a rose” is a simile which compares a woman to a rose (a beautiful flower), describing the woman as beautiful—or perhaps thorny. This cliché simile emphasizes her beauty, but does not necessarily exaggerate it. After all women are generally at least as beautiful as flowers if not more so.  An example of hyperbole in the same situation would be “She is the most beautiful woman in the entire universe!”

Metaphor and hyperbole are similar in that both say something literally which is meant to be taken figuratively.  Such as “that man is a monster.”  Many hyperboles may use metaphor and metaphors may use hyperbole, but they are quite different.  While hyperbole is exaggeration, metaphor is using one thing to represent something very different.

For example, a common metaphor is “the black sheep of the family.” We don’t literally mean that someone is a black sheep; a human being cannot literally be a sheep, unless this is a very strange science-fiction movie.  But the black sheep stands for certain qualities of the family member in question.  A black sheep is unusual and perhaps not accepted by its herd. Someone who is called a black sheep must be different from other family members in some way and may not be accepted by family members for that reason.  This is not a hyperbole because no characteristics of the person are being exaggerated. An example of hyperbole in this situation would be “He has absolutely nothing in common with our family!” We know that this can’t be true; all family members share DNA and usually many experiences, but we use hyperbole to emphasize how different this one family member feels from the rest of the family.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Hyperbole: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers

WHAT IS HYPERBOLE?

Like many of the terms used for our literary devices , the origins of the word hyperbole lie in ancient Greek; hyperbole is a compound word with various interpretations, including an over-casting or a ‘ throwing beyond’. The sense here is that of overreaching to convey an amplified meaning, that is, exaggeration.

We can think of hyperbole as the art of exaggeration in many ways. While the sum total of the words used is not meant to be taken in the literal sense, hyperbole is used to grasp beyond every day to express an intensity that is larger than life.

When hyperbole is used in speech or writing, the listener or reader knows the meaning is not literally intended.

We can find numerous examples of hyperbole in literature in our everyday speech. For example:

●      “ My mum’s going to kill me when she finds out. ”

●      “ He’s as tall as a house. ”

●      “ I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. ”

●      “ She’s as old as the hills. ”

●      “ I told her a million times. ”

 As we can see from the examples above, it’s possible to use hyperbole in the form of other literary devices, such as simile and metaphor. The critical point is that the statements are not accurate in a literal sense and that they employ exaggeration to convey their point.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

❤️The use of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE 110 PAGE UNIT  guides you through a complete understanding of  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  as both a  READER  and  WRITER covering.

WHEN AND HOW TO USE HYPERBOLE

As the examples above show, we use hyperbole in our everyday speech. But hyperbole has long been an essential staple of literary prose, creative nonfiction, essays, songs, poetry, and dramatic writing.

Given its non-literal nature, we don’t often find hyperbole used in technical writing where the main focus is on clear expression devoid of emotional content.

Hyperbole is used to bring emphasis, drama and humor to a sentence. In a sense, hyperbole defies logic and rationale. It is used when the writer desires to go beyond the commonplace to convey larger-than-life emotions or feelings.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HYPERBOLE

Hyperbole comes in many different flavors, each of which serves a different purpose. Some examples that students would be familiar with are.

Exaggeration: is used to emphasize a point by making it seem larger or more important than it actually is. Examples include “If I have told you once, I’ve told you a million times” or “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

Understatement : Is a form of hyperbole used to downplay or devalue the importance of something. Examples include “It’s just a little bruise” or “I’m just a little hungry.”

Litotes: Is a form of hyperbole and a figure of speech where an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite. It sounds complicated, but we see it very frequently, such as when an athlete says, “Tonight wasn’t my best game” instead of simply saying, “I played a bad game” It acknowledges the fact that their performance was poor whilst also reminding their fans that they can do much better.

Personification: Is used to give human characteristics to non-human things. Examples include “The wind howled” or “The chair groaned when I sat down on it.”

Anaphora: IS a less common form of hyperbole that uses repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. Examples include “I came, I saw, I conquered” – Julius Caesar.

Climax: This is a form of Hyperbole in which you structure your statements on a similar topic to trump the one that came before it. We see this commonly in marketing and advertising when listing the features and attributes of a product. For example ” The Mega Multi Vitamin Smoothie will reduce bloating, increase energy levels, and provide you the vitality to tackle any challenge throughout your day.”

HYPERBOLE IN LITERATURE

Hyperbole has long been a favorite of poets when expressing some powerful emotion or sentiment. It has been a particularly popular figure of speech used when professing love, as the last thing a lover wants is for their profession of love to appear commonplace and ordinary.

W.H. Auden’s poem As I Walked Out One Evening provides one of the better examples of hyperbole in poetry and an excellent example of how hyperbole can be used effectively to express overwhelming love:

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,

I’ll love you till the ocean

Is folded and hung up to dry

And the seven stars go squawking

Like geese about the sky.

As the stanza progresses, these lines form a series of grand and exaggerated declarations of love that increase in ludicrousness.

Despite the fact that the poet is laying the groundwork for a crushing disillusionment to follow, hyperbole serves the poem well here in describing the unbridled optimism that so often comes in the first flushes of newfound love.

As well as emphasizing drama and emotion, hyperbole is often used as a comedic device. Literature in English using hyperbole in this manner abounds, so it won’t be challenging to find some good examples to share with your students.

That said, let’s take a look at a few fun examples to get things rolling.

In his autobiography, Living to Tell the Tale , Gabriel García Márquez writes with wry humor:

“At that time, Bogota was a remote, lugubrious city where an insomniac rain had been falling since the beginning of the 16th century.”

Or, how about its use in folktales?

Hyperbole is the perfect vehicle to bring humor to yarns and tall tales. The far-fetched plotlines and exaggerated heroism of many fairy and folk tales make it the perfect genre to avail of the larger-than-life nature of hyperbole.

We can see this clearly in the following extract from S.E. Schlosser’s retelling of the folktale Babe the Blue Ox :

“Well now, one winter, it was so cold that all the geese flew backward, and all the fish moved south, and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before .”

USING HYPERBOLE IN INDEPENDENT WORK

Once students have developed a good grasp of how hyperbole works through examining different examples from literature and daily speech, it’d be worthwhile getting them to have a go at writing some examples of their own.

It will help the students internalise how this literary device works, but it will help tune them into when and how this device is used in various types of literature.

Not to mention, coming up with original hyperbole is lots of fun for students too.

The Best Hyperbole Activity in the World – Ever!

To get students to practice writing their examples of hyperbole, ask them to think about something they feel strongly about. It doesn’t matter what emotion is conjured up, as long as it’s a strong one.

Tell the students to think about the emotion that is inspired in them. Is it happiness? Disgust? Desire? Awe?

Then, instruct students to write an imaginatively exaggerated description of it. This will naturally lead to hyperbolic descriptions of the chosen thing.

Don’t overuse Hyperbole.

As we can see, hyperbole is an effective literary device when used appropriately. It can bring intensity and humor to writing , but it is essential that it’s used in the proper context and with justification.

When teaching students about this device and how to use it, it is crucial that they avoid its overuse in their own writing.

The danger of hyperbolic writing is that, when it’s used indiscriminately, it can erode the meaning of words. Think of phrases such as I’m starving! , for example.

However, when used judiciously, hyperbole can bring considerable color and creativity to the language. Definitely a worthy tool to have in any writer’s toolbox.

10 GREAT HYPERBOLE TEACHING STRATEGIES

Try working through some of these great teaching ideas below for fun and engaging ways to teach hyperbole in your classroom. Most of these require little to no preparation and are very popular with students.

• Use real-life examples of hyperbole by providing students examples from everyday speech, such as in advertisements or famous sayings.
• Use humor and fun to learn about hyperbole by incorporating over-the-top examples to engage students and make the concept more relatable. See who can turn a simple phrase into the most over-the-top hyperbolic attention grabber.
• As a class, make a list of wild hyperbolic statements might have encountered, and then try to identify which ones are literal and which are hyperbolic by using a little common sense and fact-checking if required.
• Role-play scenarios using hyperbole to exaggerate a point. Get students to go all in and ‘generate the hype’.
• Give students writing tasks such as essays in response to a prompt that requires them to use hyperbole in their responses. Grade them on their hyperbole more than their accuracy for this task to have value.
• Compare literal statements with hyperbolic ones to help them understand the difference. Get students to contrast these against each other.
• Use movies and television show examples of Hyperbole to help students understand the concept. Find examples of hyperbole, such as when Jack shouts “ I’m the King of the World ” from the front of the Titanic (1997). Superhero movies such as the Avengers are packed with them.
• Graphic organizers are an excellent option to help students organize and understand the different types of hyperbole. Refer to the section above to learn about the various Hyperbole modes.
• Have students work collaboratively in small groups to create examples of hyperbole. This will prompt discussion and assist them to understand the concept through creativity and critical thinking skills.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING STORY ELEMENTS

☀️This HUGE resource provides you with all the TOOLS, RESOURCES , and CONTENT to teach students about characters and story elements.

⭐ 75+ PAGES of INTERACTIVE READING, WRITING and COMPREHENSION content and NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

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What Is Hyperbole? Definition & 45+ Examples

What if we told you that your language has been “as big as a whale” or that you’ve likely “moved mountains” with your words? If you’re puzzled, then buckle up as we take you on a linguistic rollercoaster through the land of hyperbole, where exaggeration is the order of the day!

So, join us on this larger-than-life adventure into the captivating realm of hyperbole, where even the most ordinary expressions become extraordinary. Prepare to embark on an unforgettable linguistic escapade that will leave you hungry for more (hyperbolically speaking, of course)!

Table of Contents

Defining Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or to create a stronger emotional response. It involves using phrases or expressions that magnify a situation, often to emphasize a point or evoke humor.

The word “hyperbole” comes from the Greek word ὑπερβολή (hyperbolē), which means “excess” or “exaggeration.” This rhetorical device has been utilized in various forms of literature, such as plays, poems, and novels, since ancient times.

In everyday life, hyperbole is often used informally in spoken and written language. It allows speakers and writers to emphasize their opinions, emotions, or experiences by enlarging the meaning of their words beyond their literal definition.

However, it’s worth noting that hyperbole should be used with care, as excessive use may lead to a lack of credibility or misinterpretation.

Here are a few examples of hyperbole:

• “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.”
• “This bag weighs a ton.”
• “I’ve told you a million times not to exaggerate.”
• “He’s faster than the wind.”
• “It was so cold. I saw polar bears wearing jackets.”

While these examples are clearly exaggerated, they effectively convey the speaker’s intended message and add a touch of humor or emphasis to the statement.

Functions of Hyperbole

Emphasis and exaggeration.

One primary function of hyperbole is to create emphasis and exaggerate a particular idea, emotion, or situation . By using extreme comparisons or overstatements, it helps people express the intensity of their feelings or thoughts.

Examples include:

• “I have a mountain of work to do.”
• “My heart stopped when I saw her.”
• “She was so angry, she could’ve exploded.”

Humor and Entertainment

Hyperbole is also used to evoke laughter and entertain audiences through deliberate overstatements. It’s a common tool in jokes, cartoons, and humorous stories.

• “He is so old that he knew Burger King when he was just a prince.”
• “I love ice cream so much, I could take a bath in it.”
• “She was so surprised her eyes popped out of her head.”

Sarcasm and Criticism

Another function of hyperbole is to convey sarcasm or criticism. Using exaggeration can effectively communicate negative opinions or make a point about a person, event, or situation.

• “Well, that meeting was as productive as a bag of rocks.”
• “He’s as helpful as a chocolate teapot.”
• “I’m sure her brain is the size of a pea.”

Drawbacks of Hyperbole

While hyperbole can add flavor and emphasis to language, it also has its drawbacks. One issue is that it can lead to miscommunication, as people might take the exaggerated statements literally.

For example, if a person says, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” someone unfamiliar with the idiom might think that the individual is genuinely capable of consuming an entire horse. This could lead to confusion and misinterpretation of the intended message.

Following are more examples of hyperbole:

• “Her smile was as wide as the Grand Canyon.”
• “I have a million things to do today.”
• “This airplane is moving at the speed of a snail.”
• “His love for her was as deep as the ocean.”

Another drawback of hyperbole is that constant over-exaggeration may lead to listener fatigue. When people repeatedly use hyperbole, their audience might become desensitized and disregard their statements altogether. In this case, the intended emphasis loses its impact, and the speaker’s credibility might be questioned.

Although hyperbole can be an effective way to emphasize and illustrate points, its overuse or misuse can lead to miscommunication and diminished credibility. Striking a balance between powerful language and clear communication is essential.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole, a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, is often found in literature to create vivid imagery and memorable expressions. Here are a few examples of hyperbole in famous literary works:

• Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” : In this satirical novel, Gulliver encounters the Brobdingnagians, a race of giants whose size is hyperbolized to make a point about human nature. Gulliver describes them as being “as tall as an ordinary spire steeple.”
• William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” : Hyperbole abounds in this romantic tragedy. Romeo famously exclaims, “I have more care to stay than will to go. Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.” This line showcases Romeo’s exaggerated emotions and his willingness to die for love.
• Emily Dickinson’s poetry : Dickinson often used hyperbole to describe her emotions, as seen in her poem “My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close”: “Parting is all we know of heaven, and all we need of hell.” This line highlights the hyperbolic contrast between the eternal division of heaven and hell and the temporary parting experienced in life.
• Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” : The famous opening line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” is a prime example of hyperbole. Dickens uses this exaggerated statement to emphasize the contrasts and complexities of the historical period in which the novel is set.

These examples showcase the use of hyperbole in literature to create vivid scenes, heighten emotions, and add dramatic flair to the storytelling. From poetry to novels, hyperbole has been a powerful tool in the hands of skillful writers throughout history.

Examples of Hyperbole in Pop Culture

In this section, we’ll explore some examples of hyperbole found in various aspects of popular culture, such as films, TV shows, music, and video games.

Hyperbole is often used in films to create a dramatic effect or elevate the intensity of scenes. Some movie examples include:

• The Greatest Showman (2017): The title itself is hyperbolic, suggesting the subject is the most exceptional circus show. This exaggeration reflects the grandiosity of P.T. Barnum’s persona and the film’s overall spectacle.
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): The character Rocket Raccoon is known for making grandiose claims, such as being “the best pilot in the universe.”

Television shows often use hyperbole for comedic or dramatic effect. Some examples include:

• The Office (US): Michael Scott, the quirky boss, often uses hyperbole to express himself, such as when he says, “I’m the best boss in the world.”
• Friends: Ross Geller’s famous line, “We were on a break!” became synonymous with overblown justifications for questionable behavior.

Many song lyrics feature hyperbole to evoke emotion or make a point. Here are a few examples:

• Adele – “Set Fire to the Rain”: The phrase suggests something impossible, illustrating the intensity of the singer’s emotional turmoil.
• Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”: The line, “I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me,” is a hyperbolic claim that emphasizes the protagonist’s sense of isolation.

Video Games

Hyperbole can also be found in many video game titles and character dialogues, such as:

• Super Mario Bros.: When Mario rescues Princess Peach, the ever-humble plumber might say, “I’m the world’s greatest hero!”
• Mass Effect: Commander Shepard might hyperbolically claim, “I can handle an entire army!” to exhibit their confidence in saving the galaxy.

Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Life

Conversations and social media.

Hyperbole often appears in casual conversations and social media posts to emphasize a point, evoke emotion, or simply for humor. Here are a few examples:

• “I’ve seen this movie a thousand times.”
• “Her voice is so annoying, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.”
• “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

Advertisements and Marketing

Hyperbole is frequently used in advertisements and marketing to make products or services seem more appealing. Some typical examples include:

• “This product will change your life forever!”
• “The softest blanket in the world!”
• “Our pizza is the best in the universe!”

Internet memes often employ hyperbole to make a funny or exaggerated point. Examples of hyperbole in memes might include:

• A person fainting at the sight of a moderately large spider with the caption “Spiderzilla attacks!”
• A picture of a snail with text reading, “I’m faster than lightning!”

Common Expressions

Many everyday expressions contain hyperbole to emphasize feelings or experiences. Some common examples are:

• “I laughed so hard, I nearly died.”
• “I was so embarrassed, I wanted to vanish into thin air.”
• “I could sleep for a week.”

Impacts of Hyperbole

Hyperbole can significantly impact various aspects of life, including communication, literature, and pop culture. In this section, we will explore the influence of hyperbole in each of these areas.

Communication

When used in everyday conversations, hyperbole can convey strong emotions and create a heightened sense of urgency. However, it can also lead to misunderstandings and confusion if the exaggeration is taken literally. Some examples of hyperbole in communication include:

• “I was so nervous during the interview, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach doing backflips.”
• “I’ve been on hold for ages; their customer service is slower than a snail!”
• “Your delivery service is lightning-fast; my package arrived in the blink of an eye!”

In literature, hyperbole can enhance the narrative by providing vivid descriptions and emphasizing certain aspects of a character or setting. Hyperbole is often used to create memorable imagery and showcase the writer’s creativity. Examples of hyperbole in literature include:

• From The Catcher in the Rye: “I had to get up to go to the bathroom so bad it was like physically painful.”
• From 1984: “The chocolate ration was reduced to twenty grammes a week. It was like a deadly wound.”
• From Moby Dick: “The waves rolled by like mountains.”

Pop Culture

Hyperbole is frequently used in pop culture, such as in song lyrics, movie dialogues, and advertising slogans. It helps to express emotions, evoke reactions, or create an impactful and memorable message. Here are some examples of hyperbole in pop culture:

• “I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more.” – Song lyrics from “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers
• “Coca-Cola: The pause that refreshes.” – Advertising slogan
• “To infinity and beyond!” – Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase from the movie “Toy Story”

Understanding Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech used to exaggerate or emphasize a point. It’s common in everyday conversations and can be used humorously or dramatically. In this section, we’ll explore how context and interpretation play a key role in recognizing and understanding hyperboles, as well as how to avoid misunderstandings.

Context and Interpretation

When encountering hyperbole, it’s crucial to consider the context in which it is being used. The speaker’s tone, their relationship with you, and the subject matter will all help in interpreting whether a hyperbolic expression is being used figuratively or if it’s meant to be taken literally.

Here are a few examples of hyperbole in different contexts:

• “I have a million things to do today.” – An overstatement for having a lot of tasks pending.
• “This bag weighs a ton!” – Used to emphasize the heaviness of an object.
• “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” – An exaggerated way of expressing extreme hunger.

Avoiding Misunderstandings

To avoid misunderstandings when using hyperbole, it’s important to be mindful of your audience and ensure that they are familiar with hyperbolic expressions or sarcasm. If you’re unsure, consider rephrasing your statement in a more literal way to better convey your intended message.

In situations where hyperbole may not be appropriate or could lead to miscommunication, consider using alternative methods to illustrate your point:

By being conscious of your language and considering the context and your audience, you can effectively use hyperbole to enrich your conversations and writing, while also ensuring clear communication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the use of hyperbole in storytelling enhance the narrative or character development.

Yes, the use of hyperbole in storytelling can enhance the narrative and character development by creating dramatic situations, emphasizing key events, or highlighting unique character traits. It helps readers or listeners form a vivid mental image, making the story more engaging and memorable.

Does the use of hyperbole vary with age or social groups?

The use of hyperbole may vary with age and social groups, as language preferences, idiomatic expressions, and communication styles can differ among different demographics.

Younger individuals, for example, may use hyperbole more frequently in informal settings, while older individuals may prefer a more conservative approach to exaggeration.

Are there any specific linguistic structures or patterns associated with hyperbole?

While there are no specific linguistic structures exclusive to hyperbole, it often involves the use of intensifiers, superlatives, and extreme adjectives or adverbs. Hyperbolic expressions may also include comparisons or metaphors that accentuate the exaggeration.

Hyperbole is a powerful linguistic tool that enhances our communication by harnessing the potential of exaggeration. Utilizing hyperbole effectively allows us to convey strong emotions, inject humor, and emphasize key ideas.

Finding the sweet spot between overstatement and authenticity is crucial, but once mastered, hyperbole can elevate our understanding of its role in diverse contexts.

From casual chats to celebrated literature, hyperbole demonstrates the imaginative and expressive capabilities of human language.

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Rhetorical device: hyperbole.

Hyperbole is a rhetorical device used to exaggerate or emphasize a point through the use of overstatement. For example, the phrase “I almost died laughing” is an example of hyperbole.

Hyperbole is one of the most frequently used forms of figurative language in everyday speech, in comedy and in advertising. It is a useful tool for public speaking because it can help make a point more memorable, powerful or funny.

Whereas hyperbole works through overstatement, the related rhetorical devices meiosis and litotes operate through understatement.

I’ve wrestled with alligators . I’ve tussled with a whale . I done handcuffed lightning . And throw thunder in jail . Muhammed Ali

I want to tell you how welcome you are to the White House. I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone . Someone once said that Thomas Jefferson was a gentleman of 32 who could calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, try a cause, break a horse, and dance the minuet. John F. Kennedy, "Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Nobel Prize Winners of the Western Hemisphere" (29 April 1962)

The Chamber is celebrating an important milestone this week, your 70th anniversary. I remember the day you started . And like good wine, you've grown better, not older. Ronald Reagan, "Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the United States Chamber of Commerce" (26 April 1982)

Because Selma shows us that America is not the project of any one person. Because the single-most powerful word in our democracy is the word “We.” “We The People.” “We Shall Overcome.” “Yes We Can.” That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Barack Obama, "Address on the 50th Anniversary of the Selma, Alabama March" (7 March 2015)

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "First Inaugural Address" (4 March 1933)

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted , and every hill and mountain shall be made low , the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight , and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a Dream" (28 August 1963)

Further reading

• Wikipedia: Hyperbole Visit
• Silva Rhetoricæ: The Forest of Rhetoric Visit
• Nordquist, Richard: "Hyperbole: Definition and Examples", ThoughtCo Visit
• Rhetorical device A-Z index  
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40 famous persuasive speeches you need to hear.

Written by Kai Xin Koh

Across eras of calamity and peace in our world’s history, a great many leaders, writers, politicians, theorists, scientists, activists and other revolutionaries have unveiled powerful rousing speeches in their bids for change. In reviewing the plethora of orators across tides of social, political and economic change, we found some truly rousing speeches that brought the world to their feet or to a startling, necessary halt. We’ve chosen 40 of the most impactful speeches we managed to find from agents of change all over the world – a diversity of political campaigns, genders, positionalities and periods of history. You’re sure to find at least a few speeches in this list which will capture you with the sheer power of their words and meaning!

1. I have a dream by MLK

“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

Unsurprisingly, Martin Luther King’s speech comes up top as the most inspiring speech of all time, especially given the harrowing conditions of African Americans in America at the time. In the post-abolition era when slavery was outlawed constitutionally, African Americans experienced an intense period of backlash from white supremacists who supported slavery where various institutional means were sought to subordinate African American people to positions similar to that of the slavery era. This later came to be known as the times of Jim Crow and segregation, which Martin Luther King powerfully voiced his vision for a day when racial discrimination would be a mere figment, where equality would reign.

2. Tilbury Speech by Queen Elizabeth I

“My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”

While at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I was most renowned for her noble speech rallying the English troops against their comparatively formidable opponent. Using brilliant rhetorical devices like metonymy, meronymy, and other potent metaphors, she voiced her deeply-held commitment as a leader to the battle against the Spanish Armada – convincing the English army to keep holding their ground and upholding the sacrifice of war for the good of their people. Eventually against all odds, she led England to victory despite their underdog status in the conflict with her confident and masterful oratory.

3. Woodrow Wilson, address to Congress (April 2, 1917)

“The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for. … It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity toward a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible government which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck. We are, let me say again, the sincere friends of the German people, and shall desire nothing so much as the early reestablishment of intimate relations of mutual advantage between us—however hard it may be for them, for the time being, to believe that this is spoken from our hearts. We have borne with their present government through all these bitter months because of that friendship—exercising a patience and forbearance which would otherwise have been impossible. We shall, happily, still have an opportunity to prove that friendship in our daily attitude and actions toward the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy who live among us and share our life, and we shall be proud to prove it toward all who are in fact loyal to their neighbors and to the government in the hour of test. They are, most of them, as true and loyal Americans as if they had never known any other fealty or allegiance. They will be prompt to stand with us in rebuking and restraining the few who may be of a different mind and purpose. If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealt with with a firm hand of stern repression; but, if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there and without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few. It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.”

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the USA delivered his address to Congress, calling for declaration of war against what was at the time, a belligerent and aggressive Germany in WWI. Despite his isolationism and anti-war position earlier in his tenure as president, he convinced Congress that America had a moral duty to the world to step out of their neutral observer status into an active role of world leadership and stewardship in order to liberate attacked nations from their German aggressors. The idealistic values he preached in his speech left an indelible imprint upon the American spirit and self-conception, forming the moral basis for the country’s people and aspirational visions to this very day.

4. Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth

“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman? … If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”

Hailing from a background of slavery and oppression, Sojourner Truth was one of the most revolutionary advocates for women’s human rights in the 1800s. In spite of the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827, her slavemaster refused to free her. As such, she fled, became an itinerant preacher and leading figure in the anti-slavery movement. By the 1850s, she became involved in the women’s rights movement as well. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, she delivered her illuminating, forceful speech against discrimination of women and African Americans in the post-Civil War era, entrenching her status as one of the most revolutionary abolitionists and women’s rights activists across history.

5. The Gettsyburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

President Abraham Lincoln had left the most lasting legacy upon American history for good reason, as one of the presidents with the moral courage to denounce slavery for the national atrocity it was. However, more difficult than standing up for the anti-slavery cause was the task of unifying the country post-abolition despite the looming shadows of a time when white Americans could own and subjugate slaves with impunity over the thousands of Americans who stood for liberation of African Americans from discrimination. He urged Americans to remember their common roots, heritage and the importance of “charity for all”, to ensure a “just and lasting peace” among within the country despite throes of racial division and self-determination.

6. Woman’s Rights to the Suffrage by Susan B Anthony

“For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is to pass a bill of attainder, or an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are for ever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household–which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion into every home of the nation. Webster, Worcester and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against Negroes.”

Susan B. Anthony was a pivotal leader in the women’s suffrage movement who helped to found the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and fight for the constitutional right for women to vote. She courageously and relentlessly advocated for women’s rights, giving speeches all over the USA to convince people of women’s human rights to choice and the ballot. She is most well known for her act of righteous rebellion in 1872 when she voted in the presidential election illegally, for which she was arrested and tried unsuccessfully. She refused to pay the $100 fine in a bid to reject the demands of the American system she denounced as a ‘hateful oligarchy of sex’, sparking change with her righteous oratory and inspiring many others in the women’s suffrage movement within and beyond America.

7. Vladimir Lenin’s Speech at an International Meeting in Berne, February 8, 1916

“It may sound incredible, especially to Swiss comrades, but it is nevertheless true that in Russia, also, not only bloody tsarism, not only the capitalists, but also a section of the so-called or ex-Socialists say that Russia is fighting a “war of defence,” that Russia is only fighting against German invasion. The whole world knows, however, that for decades tsarism has been oppressing more than a hundred million people belonging to other nationalities in Russia; that for decades Russia has been pursuing a predatory policy towards China, Persia, Armenia and Galicia. Neither Russia, nor Germany, nor any other Great Power has the right to claim that it is waging a “war of defence”; all the Great Powers are waging an imperialist, capitalist war, a predatory war, a war for the oppression of small and foreign nations, a war for the sake of the profits of the capitalists, who are coining golden profits amounting to billions out of the appalling sufferings of the masses, out of the blood of the proletariat. … This again shows you, comrades, that in all countries of the world real preparations are being made to rally the forces of the working class. The horrors of war and the sufferings of the people are incredible. But we must not, and we have no reason whatever, to view the future with despair. The millions of victims who will fall in the war, and as a consequence of the war, will not fall in vain. The millions who are starving, the millions who are sacrificing their lives in the trenches, are not only suffering, they are also gathering strength, are pondering over the real cause of the war, are becoming more determined and are acquiring a clearer revolutionary understanding. Rising discontent of the masses, growing ferment, strikes, demonstrations, protests against the war—all this is taking place in all countries of the world. And this is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism”

Vladimir Lenin remains to this day one of the most lauded communist revolutionaries in the world who brought the dangers of imperialism and capitalism to light with his rousing speeches condemning capitalist structures of power which inevitably enslave people to lives of misery and class stratification. In his genuine passion for the rights of the working class, he urged fellow comrades to turn the “imperialist war” into a “civil” or class war of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. He encouraged the development of new revolutionary socialist organisations, solidarity across places in society so people could unite against their capitalist overlords, and criticised nationalism for its divisive effect on the socialist movement. In this speech especially, he lambasts “bloody Tsarism” for its oppression of millions of people of other nationalities in Russia, calling for the working class people to revolt against the Tsarist authority for the proletariat revolution to succeed and liberate them from class oppression.

8. I Have A Dream Speech by Mary Wollstonecraft

“If, I say, for I would not impress by declamation when Reason offers her sober light, if they be really capable of acting like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; or, like the brutes who are dependent on the reason of man, when they associate with him; but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime curb of principle, and let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God. Teach them, in common with man, to submit to necessity, instead of giving, to render them more pleasing, a sex to morals. Further, should experience prove that they cannot attain the same degree of strength of mind, perseverance, and fortitude, let their virtues be the same in kind, though they may vainly struggle for the same degree; and the superiority of man will be equally clear, if not clearer; and truth, as it is a simple principle, which admits of no modification, would be common to both. Nay, the order of society as it is at present regulated would not be inverted, for woman would then only have the rank that reason assigned her, and arts could not be practised to bring the balance even, much less to turn it.”

In her vindication of the rights of women, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement back in 1792 who not only theorised and advocated revolutionarily, but gave speeches that voiced these challenges against a dominantly sexist society intent on classifying women as irrational less-than-human creatures to be enslaved as they were. In this landmark speech, she pronounces her ‘dream’ of a day when women would be treated as the rational, deserving humans they are, who are equal to man in strength and capability. With this speech setting an effective precedent for her call to equalize women before the law, she also went on to champion the provision of equal educational opportunities to women and girls, and persuasively argued against the patriarchal gender norms which prevented women from finding their own lot in life through their being locked into traditional institutions of marriage and motherhood against their will.

9. First Inaugural Speech by Franklin D Roosevelt

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. … More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly. … I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken Nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption. But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis — broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.”

Roosevelt’s famous inaugural speech was delivered in the midst of a period of immense tension and strain under the Great Depression, where he highlighted the need for ‘quick action’ by Congress to prepare for government expansion in his pursuit of reforms to lift the American people out of devastating poverty. In a landslide victory, he certainly consolidated the hopes and will of the American people through this compelling speech.

10. The Hypocrisy of American Slavery by Frederick Douglass

“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”

On 4 July 1852, Frederick Douglass gave this speech in Rochester, New York, highlighting the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while slavery continues. He exposed the ‘revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy’ of slavery which had gone unabolished amidst the comparatively obscene celebration of independence and liberty with his potent speech and passion for the anti-abolition cause. After escaping from slavery, he went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York with his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. To this day, his fierce activism and devotion to exposing virulent racism for what it was has left a lasting legacy upon pro-Black social movements and the overall sociopolitical landscape of America.

11. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.”

With her iconic poem Still I Rise , Maya Angelou is well-known for uplifting fellow African American women through her empowering novels and poetry and her work as a civil rights activist. Every bit as lyrical on the page, her recitation of Still I Rise continues to give poetry audiences shivers all over the world, inspiring women of colour everywhere to keep the good faith in striving for equality and peace, while radically believing in and empowering themselves to be agents of change. A dramatic reading of the poem will easily showcase the self-belief, strength and punch that it packs in the last stanza on the power of resisting marginalization.

12. Their Finest Hour by Winston Churchill

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.””

In the darkest shadows cast by war, few leaders have been able to step up to the mantle and effectively unify millions of citizens for truly sacrificial causes. Winston Churchill was the extraordinary exception – lifting 1940 Britain out of the darkness with his hopeful, convicted rhetoric to galvanise the English amidst bleak, dreary days of war and loss. Through Britain’s standalone position in WWII against the Nazis, he left his legacy by unifying the nation under shared sacrifices of the army and commemorating their courage.

13. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

“Life for both sexes – and I looked at them (through a restaurant window while waiting for my lunch to be served), shouldering their way along the pavement – is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as we are, it calls for confidence in oneself. Without self-confidence we are babes in the cradle. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly? By thinking that other people are inferior to oneself. By feeling that one has some innate superiority – it may be wealth, or rank, a straight nose, or the portrait of a grandfather by Romney – for there is no end to the pathetic devices of the human imagination – over other people. Hence the enormous importance to a patriarch who has to conquer, who has to rule, of feeling that great numbers of people, half the human race indeed, are by nature inferior to himself. It must indeed be one of the great sources of his power….Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Without that power probably the earth would still be swamp and jungle. The glories of all our wars would be on the remains of mutton bones and bartering flints for sheepskins or whatever simple ornament took our unsophisticated taste. Supermen and Fingers of Destiny would never have existed. The Czar and the Kaiser would never have worn their crowns or lost them. Whatever may be their use in civilised societies, mirrors are essential to all violent and heroic action. That is why Napoleon and Mussolini both insist so emphatically upon the inferiority of women, for if they were not inferior, they would cease to enlarge. That serves to explain in part the necessity that women so often are to men. And it serves to explain how restless they are under her criticism; how impossible it is for her to say to them this book is bad, this picture is feeble, or whatever it may be, without giving far more pain and rousing far more anger than a man would do who gave the same criticism. For if she begins to tell the truth, the figure in the looking-glass shrinks; his fitness in life is diminished. How is he to go on giving judgment, civilising natives, making laws, writing books, dressing up and speechifying at banquets, unless he can see himself at breakfast and at dinner at least twice the size he really is?”

In this transformational speech , Virginia Woolf pronounces her vision that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. She calls out the years in which women have been deprived of their own space for individual development through being chained to traditional arrangements or men’s prescriptions – demanding ‘gigantic courage’ and ‘confidence in oneself’ to brave through the onerous struggle of creating change for women’s rights. With her steadfast, stolid rhetoric and radical theorization, she paved the way for many women’s rights activists and writers to forge their own paths against patriarchal authority.

14. Inaugural Address by John F Kennedy

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

For what is probably the most historically groundbreaking use of parallelism in speech across American history, President JFK placed the weighty task of ‘asking what one can do for their country’ onto the shoulders of each American citizen. Using an air of firmness in his rhetoric by declaring his commitment to his countrymen, he urges each American to do the same for the broader, noble ideal of freedom for all. With his crucial interrogation of a citizen’s moral duty to his nation, President JFK truly made history.

15. Atoms for Peace Speech by Dwight Eisenhower

“To pause there would be to confirm the hopeless finality of a belief that two atomic colossi are doomed malevolently to eye each other indefinitely across a trembling world. To stop there would be to accept helplessly the probability of civilization destroyed, the annihilation of the irreplaceable heritage of mankind handed down to us from generation to generation, and the condemnation of mankind to begin all over again the age-old struggle upward from savagery towards decency, and right, and justice. Surely no sane member of the human race could discover victory in such desolation. Could anyone wish his name to be coupled by history with such human degradation and destruction?Occasional pages of history do record the faces of the “great destroyers”, but the whole book of history reveals mankind’s never-ending quest for peace and mankind’s God-given capacity to build. It is with the book of history, and not with isolated pages, that the United States will ever wish to be identified. My country wants to be constructive,not destructive. It wants agreements, not wars, among nations. It wants itself to live in freedom and in the confidence that the peoples of every other nation enjoy equally the right of choosing their own way of life. So my country’s purpose is to help us to move out of the dark chamber of horrors into the light, to find a way by which the minds of men, the hopes of men, the souls of men everywhere, can move forward towards peace and happiness and well-being.”

On a possibility as frightful and tense as nuclear war, President Eisenhower managed to convey the gravity of the world’s plight in his measured and persuasive speech centred on the greater good of mankind. Using rhetorical devices such as the three-part paratactical syntax which most world leaders are fond of for ingraining their words in the minds of their audience, he centers the discourse of the atomic bomb on those affected by such a world-changing decision in ‘the minds, hopes and souls of men everywhere’ – effectively putting the vivid image of millions of people’s fates at stake in the minds of his audience. Being able to make a topic as heavy and fraught with moral conflict as this as eloquent as he did, Eisenhower definitely ranks among some of the most skilled orators to date.

16. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde

“I was going to die, if not sooner then later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences. What are the words you do not have yet? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? Perhaps for some of you here today, I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am a woman, because I am black, because I am myself, a black woman warrior poet doing my work, come to ask you, are you doing yours?”

Revolutionary writer, feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde first delivered this phenomenal speech at Lesbian and Literature panel of the Modern Language Association’s December 28, 1977 meeting, which went on to feature permanently in her writings for its sheer wisdom and truth. Her powerful writing and speech about living on the margins of society has enlightened millions of people discriminated across various intersections, confronting them with the reality that they must speak – since their ‘silence will not protect’ them from further marginalization. Through her illuminating words and oratory, she has reminded marginalized persons of the importance of their selfhood and the radical capacity for change they have in a world blighted by prejudice and division.

17. 1965 Cambridge Union Hall Speech by James Baldwin

“What is dangerous here is the turning away from – the turning away from – anything any white American says. The reason for the political hesitation, in spite of the Johnson landslide is that one has been betrayed by American politicians for so long. And I am a grown man and perhaps I can be reasoned with. I certainly hope I can be. But I don’t know, and neither does Martin Luther King, none of us know how to deal with those other people whom the white world has so long ignored, who don’t believe anything the white world says and don’t entirely believe anything I or Martin is saying. And one can’t blame them. You watch what has happened to them in less than twenty years.”

Baldwin’s invitation to the Cambridge Union Hall is best remembered for foregrounding the unflinching differences in white and African Americans’ ‘system of reality’ in everyday life. Raising uncomfortable truths about the insidious nature of racism post-civil war, he provides several nuggets of thought-provoking wisdom on the state of relations between the oppressed and their oppressors, and what is necessary to mediate such relations and destroy the exploitative thread of racist hatred. With great frankness, he admits to not having all the answers but provides hard-hitting wisdom on engagement to guide activists through confounding times nonetheless.

18. I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela

“Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs as it certainly must, it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Apartheid is still considered one of these most devastating events of world history, and it would not have ended without the crucial effort and words of Nelson Mandela during his courageous political leadership. In this heartbreaking speech , he voices his utter devotion to the fight against institutionalised racism in African society – an ideal for which he was ‘prepared to die for’. Mandela continues to remind us today of his moral conviction in leading, wherein the world would likely to be a better place if all politicians had the same resolve and genuine commitment to human rights and the abolition of oppression as he did.

19. Critique on British Imperialism by General Aung San

“Do they form their observations by seeing the attendances at not very many cinemas and theatres of Rangoon? Do they judge this question of money circulation by paying a stray visit to a local bazaar? Do they know that cinemas and theatres are not true indicators, at least in Burma, of the people’s conditions? Do they know that there are many in this country who cannot think of going to these places by having to struggle for their bare existence from day to day? Do they know that those who nowadays patronise or frequent cinemas and theatres which exist only in Rangoon and a few big towns, belong generally to middle and upper classes and the very few of the many poor who can attend at all are doing so as a desperate form of relaxation just to make them forget their unsupportable existences for the while whatever may be the tomorrow that awaits them?”

Under British colonial rule, one of the most legendary nationalist leaders emerged from the ranks of the thousands of Burmese to boldly lead them towards independence, out of the exploitation and control under the British. General Aung San’s speech criticising British social, political and economic control of Burma continues to be scathing, articulate, and relevant – especially given his necessary goal of uniting the Burmese natives against their common oppressor. He successfully galvanised his people against the British, taking endless risks through nationalist speeches and demonstrations which gradually bore fruit in Burma’s independence.

20. Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa

“I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the Body Of Christ 24 hours. We have 24 hours in this presence, and so you and I. You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our family don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy to bring peace–just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world. There is so much suffering, so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty–how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”

In contemporary culture, most people understand Mother Teresa to be the epitome of compassion and kindness. However, if one were to look closer at her speeches from the past, one would discover not merely her altruistic contributions, but her keen heart for social justice and the downtrodden. She wisely and gracefully remarks that ‘love begins at home’ from the individual actions of each person within their private lives, which accumulate into a life of goodness and charity. For this, her speeches served not just consolatory value or momentary relevance, as they still inform the present on how we can live lives worth living.

21. June 9 Speech to Martial Law Units by Deng Xiaoping

“This army still maintains the traditions of our old Red Army. What they crossed this time was in the true sense of the expression a political barrier, a threshold of life and death. This was not easy. This shows that the People’s Army is truly a great wall of iron and steel of the party and state. This shows that no matter how heavy our losses, the army, under the leadership of the party, will always remain the defender of the country, the defender of socialism, and the defender of the public interest. They are a most lovable people. At the same time, we should never forget how cruel our enemies are. We should have not one bit of forgiveness for them. The fact that this incident broke out as it did is very worthy of our pondering. It prompts us cool-headedly to consider the past and the future. Perhaps this bad thing will enable us to go ahead with reform and the open policy at a steadier and better — even a faster — pace, more speedily correct our mistakes, and better develop our strong points.”

Mere days before the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping sat with six party elders (senior officials) and the three remaining members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the paramount decision-making body in China’s government. The meeting was organised to discuss the best course of action for restoring social and political order to China, given the sweeping economic reforms that had taken place in the past decade that inevitably resulted in some social resistance from the populace. Deng then gave this astute and well-regarded speech, outlining the political complexities in shutting down student protests given the context of reforms encouraging economic liberalization already taking place, as aligned with the students’ desires. It may not be the most rousing or inflammatory of speeches, but it was certainly persuasive in voicing the importance of taking a strong stand for the economic reforms Deng was implementing to benefit Chinese citizens in the long run. Today, China is an economic superpower, far from its war-torn developing country status before Deng’s leadership – thanks to his foresight in ensuring political stability would allow China to enjoy the fruits of the massive changes they adapted to.

22. Freedom or Death by Emmeline Pankhurst

“You won your freedom in America when you had the revolution, by bloodshed, by sacrificing human life. You won the civil war by the sacrifice of human life when you decided to emancipate the negro. You have left it to women in your land, the men of all civilised countries have left it to women, to work out their own salvation. That is the way in which we women of England are doing. Human life for us is sacred, but we say if any life is to be sacrificed it shall be ours; we won’t do it ourselves, but we will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death. Now whether you approve of us or whether you do not, you must see that we have brought the question of women’s suffrage into a position where it is of first rate importance, where it can be ignored no longer. Even the most hardened politician will hesitate to take upon himself directly the responsibility of sacrificing the lives of women of undoubted honour, of undoubted earnestness of purpose. That is the political situation as I lay it before you today.”

In 1913 after Suffragette Emily Davison stepped in front of King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby and suffered fatal injuries, Emmeline Pankhurst delivered her speech to Connecticut as a call to action for people to support the suffragette movement. Her fortitude in delivering such a sobering speech on the state of women’s rights is worth remembering for its invaluable impact and contributions to the rights we enjoy in today’s world.

23. Quit India by Mahatma Gandhi

“We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with an inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery. Let that be your pledge. Keep jails out of your consideration. If the Government keep me free, I will not put on the Government the strain of maintaining a large number of prisoners at a time, when it is in trouble. Let every man and woman live every moment of his or her life hereafter in the consciousness that he or she eats or lives for achieving freedom and will die, if need be, to attain that goal. Take a pledge, with God and your own conscience as witness, that you will no longer rest till freedom is achieved and will be prepared to lay down your lives in the attempt to achieve it. He who loses his life will gain it; he who will seek to save it shall lose it. Freedom is not for the coward or the faint-hearted.”

Naturally, the revolutionary activist Gandhi had to appear in this list for his impassioned anti-colonial speeches which rallied Indians towards independence. Famous for leading non-violent demonstrations, his speeches were a key element in gathering Indians of all backgrounds together for the common cause of eliminating their colonial masters. His speeches were resolute, eloquent, and courageous, inspiring the hope and admiration of many not just within India, but around the world.

24. 1974 National Book Award Speech by Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde

“The statement I am going to read was prepared by three of the women nominated for the National Book Award for poetry, with the agreement that it would be read by whichever of us, if any, was chosen.We, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Alice Walker, together accept this award in the name of all the women whose voices have gone and still go unheard in a patriarchal world, and in the name of those who, like us, have been tolerated as token women in this culture, often at great cost and in great pain. We believe that we can enrich ourselves more in supporting and giving to each other than by competing against each other; and that poetry—if it is poetry—exists in a realm beyond ranking and comparison. We symbolically join together here in refusing the terms of patriarchal competition and declaring that we will share this prize among us, to be used as best we can for women. We appreciate the good faith of the judges for this award, but none of us could accept this money for herself, nor could she let go unquestioned the terms on which poets are given or denied honor and livelihood in this world, especially when they are women. We dedicate this occasion to the struggle for self-determination of all women, of every color, identification, or derived class: the poet, the housewife, the lesbian, the mathematician, the mother, the dishwasher, the pregnant teen-ager, the teacher, the grandmother, the prostitute, the philosopher, the waitress, the women who will understand what we are doing here and those who will not understand yet; the silent women whose voices have been denied us, the articulate women who have given us strength to do our work.”

Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and Alice Walker wrote this joint speech to be delivered by Adrienne Rich at the 1974 National Book Awards, based on their suspicions that the first few African American lesbian women to be nominated for the awards would be snubbed in favour of a white woman nominee. Their suspicions were confirmed, and Adrienne Rich delivered this socially significant speech in solidarity with her fellow nominees, upholding the voices of the ‘silent women whose voices have been denied’.

25. Speech to 20th Congress of the CPSU by Nikita Khruschev

“Considering the question of the cult of an individual, we must first of all show everyone what harm this caused to the interests of our Party. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin had always stressed the Party’s role and significance in the direction of the socialist government of workers and peasants; he saw in this the chief precondition for a successful building of socialism in our country. Pointing to the great responsibility of the Bolshevik Party, as ruling Party of the Soviet state, Lenin called for the most meticulous observance of all norms of Party life; he called for the realization of the principles of collegiality in the direction of the Party and the state. Collegiality of leadership flows from the very nature of our Party, a Party built on the principles of democratic centralism. “This means,” said Lenin, “that all Party matters are accomplished by all Party members – directly or through representatives – who, without any exceptions, are subject to the same rules; in addition, all administrative members, all directing collegia, all holders of Party positions are elective, they must account for their activities and are recallable.””

This speech is possibly the most famed Russian speech for its status as a ‘secret’ speech delivered only to the CPSU at the time, which was eventually revealed to the public. Given the unchallenged political legacy and cult of personality which Stalin left in the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev’s speech condemning the authoritarian means Stalin had resorted to to consolidate power as un-socialist was an important mark in Russian history.

26. The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism — the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for three thousand years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come. The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action. No one race and on one people can claim to have done all the work to achieve greater dignity for human beings and great freedom to develop human personality. In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”

Eleanor Roosevelt has been among the most well-loved First Ladies for good reason – her eloquence and gravitas in delivering every speech convinced everyone of her suitability for the oval office. In this determined and articulate speech , she outlines the fundamental values that form the bedrock of democracy, urging the rest of the world to uphold human rights regardless of national ideology and interests.

27. The Ballot or The Bullet by Malcolm X

“And in this manner, the organizations will increase in number and in quantity and in quality, and by August, it is then our intention to have a black nationalist convention which will consist of delegates from all over the country who are interested in the political, economic and social philosophy of black nationalism. After these delegates convene, we will hold a seminar; we will hold discussions; we will listen to everyone. We want to hear new ideas and new solutions and new answers. And at that time, if we see fit then to form a black nationalist party, we’ll form a black nationalist party. If it’s necessary to form a black nationalist army, we’ll form a black nationalist army. It’ll be the ballot or the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death.”

Inarguably, the revolutionary impact Malcolm X’s fearless oratory had was substantial in his time as a radical anti-racist civil rights activist. His speeches’ emancipatory potential put forth his ‘theory of rhetorical action’ where he urges Black Americans to employ both the ballot and the bullet, strategically without being dependent on the other should the conditions of oppression change. A crucial leader in the fight for civil rights, he opened the eyes of thousands of Black Americans, politicising and convincing them of the necessity of fighting for their democratic rights against white supremacists.

28. Living the Revolution by Gloria Steinem

“The challenge to all of us, and to you men and women who are graduating today, is to live a revolution, not to die for one. There has been too much killing, and the weapons are now far too terrible. This revolution has to change consciousness, to upset the injustice of our current hierarchy by refusing to honor it, and to live a life that enforces a new social justice. Because the truth is none of us can be liberated if other groups are not.”

In an unexpected commencement speech delivered at Vassar College in 1970, Gloria Steinem boldly makes a call to action on behalf of marginalized groups in need of liberation to newly graduated students. She proclaimed it the year of Women’s Liberation and forcefully highlighted the need for a social revolution to ‘upset the injustice of the current hierarchy’ in favour of human rights – echoing the hard-hitting motto on social justice, ‘until all of us are free, none of us are free’.

29. The Last Words of Harvey Milk by Harvey Milk

“I cannot prevent some people from feeling angry and frustrated and mad in response to my death, but I hope they will take the frustration and madness and instead of demonstrating or anything of that type, I would hope that they would take the power and I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out, stand up and let the world know. That would do more to end prejudice overnight than anybody could imagine. I urge them to do that, urge them to come out. Only that way will we start to achieve our rights. … All I ask is for the movement to continue, and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door…”

As the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, Harvey Milk’s entire political candidature was in itself a radical statement against the homophobic status quo at the time. Given the dangerous times he was in as an openly gay man, he anticipated that he would be assassinated eventually in his political career. As such, these are some of his last words which show the utter devotion he had to campaigning against homophobia while representing the American people, voicing his heartbreaking wish for the bullet that would eventually kill him to ‘destroy every closet door’.

30. Black Power Address at UC Berkeley by Stokely Carmichael

“Now we are now engaged in a psychological struggle in this country, and that is whether or not black people will have the right to use the words they want to use without white people giving their sanction to it; and that we maintain, whether they like it or not, we gonna use the word “Black Power” — and let them address themselves to that; but that we are not going to wait for white people to sanction Black Power. We’re tired waiting; every time black people move in this country, they’re forced to defend their position before they move. It’s time that the people who are supposed to be defending their position do that. That’s white people. They ought to start defending themselves as to why they have oppressed and exploited us.”

A forceful and impressive orator, Stokely Carmichael was among those at the forefront of the civil rights movement, who was a vigorous socialist organizer as well. He led the Black Power movement wherein he gave this urgent, influential speech that propelled Black Americans forward in their fight for constitutional rights in the 1960s.

31. Speech on Vietnam by Lyndon Johnson

“The true peace-keepers are those men who stand out there on the DMZ at this very hour, taking the worst that the enemy can give. The true peace-keepers are the soldiers who are breaking the terrorist’s grip around the villages of Vietnam—the civilians who are bringing medical care and food and education to people who have already suffered a generation of war. And so I report to you that we are going to continue to press forward. Two things we must do. Two things we shall do. First, we must not mislead the enemy. Let him not think that debate and dissent will produce wavering and withdrawal. For I can assure you they won’t. Let him not think that protests will produce surrender. Because they won’t. Let him not think that he will wait us out. For he won’t. Second, we will provide all that our brave men require to do the job that must be done. And that job is going to be done. These gallant men have our prayers-have our thanks—have our heart-felt praise—and our deepest gratitude. Let the world know that the keepers of peace will endure through every trial—and that with the full backing of their countrymen, they are going to prevail.”

During some of the most harrowing periods of human history, the Vietnam War, American soldiers were getting soundly defeated by the Vietnamese in guerrilla warfare. President Lyndon Johnson then issued this dignified, consolatory speech to encourage patriotism and support for the soldiers putting their lives on the line for the nation.

32. A Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher

“We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks. Are you human? And this is the right question. Are you human? Because people with HIV have not entered some alien state of being. They are human. They have not earned cruelty, and they do not deserve meanness. They don’t benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts. Each of them is exactly what God made: a person; not evil, deserving of our judgment; not victims, longing for our pity ­­ people, ready for  support and worthy of compassion. We must be consistent if we are to be believed. We cannot love justice and ignore prejudice, love our children and fear to teach them. Whatever our role as parent or policymaker, we must act as eloquently as we speak ­­ else we have no integrity. My call to the nation is a plea for awareness. If you believe you are safe, you are in danger. Because I was not hemophiliac, I was not at risk. Because I was not gay, I was not at risk. Because I did not inject drugs, I was not at risk. The lesson history teaches is this: If you believe you are safe, you are at risk. If you do not see this killer stalking your children, look again. There is no family or community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe. Until we genuinely embrace this message, we are a nation at risk.”

Back when AIDS research was still undeveloped, the stigma of contracting HIV was even more immense than it is today. A celebrated artist, author and speaker, Mary Fisher became an outspoken activist for those with HIV/AIDS, persuading people to extend compassion to the population with HIV instead of stigmatizing them – as injustice has a way of coming around to people eventually. Her bold act of speaking out for the community regardless of the way they contracted the disease, their sexual orientation or social group, was an influential move in advancing the human rights of those with HIV and spreading awareness on the discrimination they face.

33. Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

“The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation’s development. A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration. It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear. Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Famous for her resoluteness and fortitude in campaigning for democracy in Burma despite being put under house arrest by the military government, Aung San Suu Kyi’s speeches have been widely touted as inspirational. In this renowned speech of hers, she delivers a potent message to Burmese to ‘liberate their minds from apathy and fear’ in the struggle for freedom and human rights in the country. To this day, she continues to tirelessly champion the welfare and freedom of Burmese in a state still overcome by vestiges of authoritarian rule.

34. This Is Water by David Foster Wallace

“Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the centre of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving…. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day. That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”

Esteemed writer David Foster Wallace gave a remarkably casual yet wise commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005 on the importance of learning to think beyond attaining a formal education. He encouraged hundreds of students to develop freedom of thought, a heart of sacrificial care for those in need of justice, and a consciousness that would serve them in discerning the right choices to make within a status quo that is easy to fall in line with. His captivating speech on what it meant to truly be ‘educated’ tugged at the hearts of many young and critical minds striving to achieve their dreams and change the world.

35. Questioning the Universe by Stephen Hawking

“This brings me to the last of the big questions: the future of the human race. If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy, we should make sure we survive and continue. But we are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history. Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million. Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward-looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space. The answers to these big questions show that we have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space. That is why I am in favor of manned — or should I say, personned — space flight.”

Extraordinary theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking was a considerable influence upon modern physics and scientific research at large, inspiring people regardless of physical ability to aspire towards expanding knowledge in the world. In his speech on Questioning the Universe, he speaks of the emerging currents and issues in the scientific world like that of outer space, raising and answering big questions that have stumped great thinkers for years.

36. 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech by Michelle Obama

“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history — knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country: People who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight, and head out for the night shift — without disappointment, without regret — that goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they’re working for. The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table. The servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it. The young people across America serving our communities — teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day. People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters — and sons — can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher. People like Joe Biden, who’s never forgotten where he came from and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again. All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack’s journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.”

Ever the favourite modern First Lady of America, Michelle Obama has delivered an abundance of iconic speeches in her political capacity, never forgetting to foreground the indomitable human spirit embodied in American citizens’ everyday lives and efforts towards a better world. The Obamas might just have been the most articulate couple of rhetoricians of their time, making waves as the first African American president and First Lady while introducing important policies in their period of governance.

37. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

“I’m not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope — Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.”

Now published into a book, Barack Obama’s heart-capturing personal story of transformational hope was first delivered as a speech on the merits of patriotic optimism and determination put to the mission of concrete change. He has come to be known as one of the most favoured and inspiring presidents in American history, and arguably the most skilled orators ever.

38. “Be Your Own Story” by Toni Morrison

“But I’m not going to talk anymore about the future because I’m hesitant to describe or predict because I’m not even certain that it exists. That is to say, I’m not certain that somehow, perhaps, a burgeoning ménage a trois of political interests, corporate interests and military interests will not prevail and literally annihilate an inhabitable, humane future. Because I don’t think we can any longer rely on separation of powers, free speech, religious tolerance or unchallengeable civil liberties as a matter of course. That is, not while finite humans in the flux of time make decisions of infinite damage. Not while finite humans make infinite claims of virtue and unassailable power that are beyond their competence, if not their reach. So, no happy talk about the future. … Because the past is already in debt to the mismanaged present. And besides, contrary to what you may have heard or learned, the past is not done and it is not over, it’s still in process, which is another way of saying that when it’s critiqued, analyzed, it yields new information about itself. The past is already changing as it is being reexamined, as it is being listened to for deeper resonances. Actually it can be more liberating than any imagined future if you are willing to identify its evasions, its distortions, its lies, and are willing to unleash its secrets.”

Venerated author and professor Toni Morrison delivered an impressively articulate speech at Wellesley College in 2004 to new graduates, bucking the trend by discussing the importance of the past in informing current and future ways of living. With her brilliance and eloquence, she blew the crowd away and renewed in them the capacity for reflection upon using the past as a talisman to guide oneself along the journey of life.

39. Nobel Speech by Malala Yousafzai

“Dear brothers and sisters, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call “strong” are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult? As we are living in the modern age, the 21st century and we all believe that nothing is impossible. We can reach the moon and maybe soon will land on Mars. Then, in this, the 21st century, we must be determined that our dream of quality education for all will also come true. So let us bring equality, justice and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty. So we must work … and not wait. I call upon my fellow children to stand up around the world. Dear sisters and brothers, let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. The empty classrooms, the lost childhoods, wasted potential-let these things end with us.”

At a mere 16 years of age, Malala Yousafzai gave a speech on the severity of the state of human rights across the world, and wowed the world with her passion for justice at her tender age. She displayed tenacity and fearlessness speaking about her survival of an assassination attempt for her activism for gender equality in the field of education. A model of courage to us all, her speech remains an essential one in the fight for human rights in the 21st century.

40. Final Commencement Speech by Michelle Obama

“If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that’s why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh — these religions are teaching our young people about justice, and compassion, and honesty. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, our glorious diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds — that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are. So the young people here and the young people out there: Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are. But I also want to be very clear: This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day. You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms. … It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe they, too, will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.”

Finally, we have yet another speech by Michelle Obama given in her final remarks as First Lady – a tear-inducing event for many Americans and even people around the world. In this emotional end to her political tenure, she gives an empowering, hopeful, expressive speech to young Americans, exhorting them to take hold of its future in all their diversity and work hard at being their best possible selves.

Amidst the bleak era of our current time with Trump as president of the USA, not only Michelle Obama, but all 40 of these amazing speeches can serve as sources of inspiration and hope to everyone – regardless of their identity or ambitions. After hearing these speeches, which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh

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I would like to begin by thanking my friends and family as well as my teachers for shaping me. Because of you, I am confident in my abilities to defend my beliefs.

Keynotes: Hyperbole, Exaggeration, Power, Society, Trump

Hyperboles have the power to create a massive effect on listeners in a multitude of ways. The power of hyperbole stems from how the listener is able to understand the magnitude of what the speaker tries to convey through exaggeration. Hyperbole and its ability to impact the audience in question is a manner of speech that has had a great impact on American society, especially with regards to political rhetoric. To understand the power of hyperbole, it is imperative to know what it entails. According to the Oxford Dictionary, hyperbole is defined as “a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better, more exciting, more dangerous, etc. than it really is.” The term in a rhetorical sense is a form of figurative language where exaggeration is used to create a heightened effect of importance on the audience. A key part of the definition of hyperbole stems from the fact that there is the chance that something can be portrayed as more dangerous by virtue of hyperbole usage. However, hyperboles do not have this specific aspect in all their usages. While there can be a sense of danger when hyperboles are misused, there is a beauty in the usage of this rhetorical device that comes from the power it possesses over the audience. With that said, it is evident that hyperboles have a great impact that can persuade a multitude of people instead of inciting fear within them. A great example of the power that hyperbole can have in persuasive speech is apparent in the speeches of the 45th President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump used what scholars have described as “truthful hyperbole,” which demonstrated the power through exaggeration, a critical aspect of hyperbole.

The art of hyperbole lies in its ability to exaggerate the matter at hand. At the same time, hyperbole uses this exaggeration effectively to help the listener understand the magnitude of a statement in a matter that is more relatable to the audience (Claridge 2011). There are many ways that this can be achieved, and one way that is advantageous to the speaker is by the uncertainty that comes with hyperbole. Building on this, “many hyperbolic expressions are characterized by a certain vagueness”, and an example of this exists in how “when expressions such as ‘age’ or ‘load’ or ‘million’ are used hyperbolically, they do not refer to an exact amount” (Henkemans 4). Through the utilization of hyperbole, the speaker places themselves at an advantage due to this vagueness helping them get their desired point across. Additionally, hyperboles have a strong role in argumentative aspects. In many arguments, persuasion is an extremely important point that works to get critical points across (Nemesi).

Hyperbole and similar rhetorical forms of amplification are viewed as “techniques that can be used to exaggerate certain facts or value judgments and thereby strengthen the arguer’s defense or attack” (Henkemans 4). Through these arguments, the speaker can make their line of argument “more psychologically salient to the audience and more conceptually important in the overall case” (Claridge 105). With regards to the power of this argument in the political sphere, hyperbole has great power in trying to get a message across to the audience in question as the rhetorical figure can be utilized to make an argument more “psychologically salient to the audience and more conceptually important in the overall case” (Claridge 105). At the same time, hyperbole possesses a rare ability to have great power in argument as well due to its added importance and remembrance in the eyes of the audience at hand. This is possible due to the relatable aspects that come from the expression utilized. Donald Trump’s usage of hyperbole in political speeches as part of the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election truly demonstrated how hyperbole has the potential to make the greatest and most intricate of matters demonstrable to any audience at hand.

In comparison to his competition for this election, Donald Trump was at a great disadvantage. He lacked the political experience compared to other candidates such as Hillary Clinton while also being notorious in the public eye for his past as a television personality and real estate mogul. However, Trump utilized hyperbole in a way that helped portray the power of America and the ability for the country to rebound from the previous presidency. This aligned with his slogan to “Make America Great Again.” In one of his speeches, Trump criticized the Obama administration by stating that the United States of America “[has] all the cards, but we don’t know how to use them. We don’t even know that we have the cards, because our leaders don’t understand the game” (Trump 2016). Through this exaggeration comparing foreign policy to a game of cards, Trump makes it abundantly clear that the United States of America is still a powerful country with regard to the influence it holds over other countries. At the same time, he utilizes persuasive hyperbole to indicate that this complicated matter that is foreign policy is a field that America can succeed in. He also diminishes his opponents and predecessors by indicating that they have failed in this regard and in turn made the country weaker due to their inability to understand the game at hand. Another way that Trump successfully utilized persuasive hyperbole came from his ability to emphasize that he would be an agent of change who would bring America back to its glory days.

In his speeches, Trump made it clear that he would be “America’s greatest defender and most loyal champion” as well as how he is “the change agent” as opposed to his opponent Clinton who had “failed women and children” and “never done anything for you and your family” (Trump 2016). In these excerpts, Trump persuades the audience with the exaggeration that he is someone who will truly be the representation of change in this country. He represents himself in a manner that makes him an individual who will bring about significant change to a country which has been lagging due to the decisions of previous administrations. He makes up for his lack of political experience by using hyperbole to his advantage. The way he achieves this is by making it clear to the audience that he is not like other politicians and is truly a mystical agent of change. At the same time, he dissuades the audience from trusting his opponent Clinton under the pretense that she has failed everyone and their families while bringing an emotional aspect through the acknowledgment of women and children in particular. Through these speeches, Trump successfully used hyperbole to exaggerate the situations that America was in due to previous politicians while also making it apparent that he would be an individual that can relate to the common man. This was successful as he was able to win the election and become the 45th President of the United States of America. Just as former President Donald Trump would use hyperbole to his advantage, so would I. As a teenager in high school, I would often use amplified exaggeration to convince my parents in favor of what I was seeking. This form of discourse was very powerful and I believe that it had an impact on my upbringing to a certain extent. This exaggerated speech influenced my parents’ decision to get me my first car, determined what I would be allowed to do on weekends and most importantly attending a private university over a state college.

As seen in the 2016 presidential elections and through my own personal experiences, the use of hyperbole is effective and is a powerful rhetorical device. Trump, rather than speaking of the pessimistic and poor aspect of the nation, the former President would speak on how he would alleviate the situation and make “America Great Again” (Flitter, Oliphant et al, 2015). Through Trump’s usage of hyperbole, he truly showed the power that comes from exaggeration, a key aspect of hyperbole. At the same time, he simplified extremely difficult-to-understand matters in a way that the audience of interest could understand and relate to. As a result, his words resonated in a matter that led to him becoming the most powerful individual in the world.

Works Cited

Claridge, C. (2011). Hyperbole in English. A corpus-based study of exaggeration. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Flitter, Emily, and James Oliphant. “Best President Ever! How Trump’s Love of Hyperbole

Could Backfire.” Reuters, 28 Aug. 2015. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-hyperbole-insight-idUSKCN0QX1 1X20150828.

Henkemans, A. “The use of hyperbole in the argumentation stage.” (2013).

Nemesi, Attila L. “What Discourse Goals Can Be Accomplished by the Use of Hperbole?” Acta Linguistica Hungarica , vol. 51, no. 3–4, Akadémiai Kiadó, 2004, pp. 351–78, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26189846.

Swain, C. M. (2017, January 23). How Donald Trump C an be America’s C hange A gent . CNN.

Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/opinions/trump-change-agent-swain-opinion/index.htm l.

Trump, Donald “Remarks to the Detroit Economic Club” August 8, 2016.

Feeling Rhetoric Copyright © 2022 by Carlos Arguello is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Trump’s bizarre, vindictive incoherence has to be heard in full to be believed

Excerpts from his speeches do not do justice to Trump’s smorgasbord of vendettas, non sequiturs and comparisons to famous people

Donald Trump’s speeches on the 2024 campaign trail so far have been focused on a laundry list of complaints, largely personal, and an increasingly menacing tone.

He’s on the campaign trail less these days than he was in previous cycles – and less than you’d expect from a guy with dedicated superfans who brags about the size of his crowds every chance he gets. But when he has held rallies, he speaks in dark, dehumanizing terms about migrants, promising to vanquish people crossing the border. He rails about the legal battles he faces and how they’re a sign he’s winning, actually. He tells lies and invents fictions. He calls his opponent a threat to democracy and claims this election could be the last one.

Trump’s tone, as many have noted, is decidedly more vengeful this time around, as he seeks to reclaim the White House after a bruising loss that he insists was a steal. This alone is a cause for concern, foreshadowing what the Trump presidency redux could look like. But he’s also, quite frequently, rambling and incoherent, running off on tangents that would grab headlines for their oddness should any other candidate say them.

Journalists rightly chose not to broadcast Trump’s entire speeches after 2016, believing that the free coverage helped boost the former president and spread lies unchecked. But now there’s the possibility that stories about his speeches often make his ideas appear more cogent than they are – making the case that, this time around, people should hear the full speeches to understand how Trump would govern again.

Watching a Trump speech in full better shows what it’s like inside his head: a smorgasbord of falsehoods, personal and professional vendettas, frequent comparisons to other famous people, a couple of handfuls of simple policy ideas, and a lot of non sequiturs that veer into barely intelligible stories.

Curiously, Trump tucks the most tangible policy implications in at the end. His speeches often finish with a rundown of what his second term in office could bring, in a meditation-like recitation the New York Times recently compared to a sermon. Since these policies could become reality, here’s a few of those ideas:

Instituting the death penalty for drug dealers.

Creating the “Trump Reciprocal Trade Act”: “If China or any other country makes us pay 100% or 200% tariff, which they do, we will make them pay a reciprocal tariff of 100% or 200%. In other words, you screw us and we’ll screw you.”

Indemnifying all police officers and law enforcement officials.

Rebuilding cities and taking over Washington DC, where, he said in a recent speech, there are “beautiful columns” put together “through force of will” because there were no “Caterpillar tractors” and now those columns have graffiti on them.

Issuing an executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content.

Moving to one-day voting with paper ballots and voter ID.

This conclusion is the most straightforward part of a Trump speech and is typically the extent of what a candidate for office would say on the campaign trail, perhaps with some personal storytelling or mild joking added in.

But it’s also often the shortest part.

Trump’s tangents aren’t new, nor is Trump’s penchant for elevating baseless ideas that most other presidential candidates wouldn’t, like his promotion of injecting bleach during the pandemic.

But in a presidential race among two old men that’s often focused on the age of the one who’s slightly older, these campaign trail antics shed light on Trump’s mental acuity, even if people tend to characterize them differently than Joe Biden’s. While Biden’s gaffes elicit serious scrutiny, as writers in the New Yorker and the New York Times recently noted, we’ve seemingly become inured to Trump’s brand of speaking, either skimming over it or giving him leeway because this has always been his shtick.

Trump, like Biden, has confused names of world leaders (but then claims it’s on purpose ). He has also stumbled and slurred his words. But beyond that, Trump’s can take a different turn. Trump has described using an “iron dome” missile defense system as “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. They’ve only got 17 seconds to figure this whole thing out. Boom. OK. Missile launch. Whoosh. Boom.”

These tangents can be part of a tirade, or they can be what one can only describe as complete nonsense.

During this week’s Wisconsin speech, which was more coherent than usual, Trump pulled out a few frequent refrains: comparing himself, incorrectly , to Al Capone, saying he was indicted more than the notorious gangster; making fun of the Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis’s first name (“It’s spelled fanny like your ass, right? Fanny. But when she became DA, she decided to add a little French, a little fancy”).

He made fun of Biden’s golfing game, miming how Biden golfs, perhaps a ding back at Biden for poking Trump about his golf game. Later, he called Biden a “lost soul” and lamented that he gets to sit at the president’s desk. “Can you imagine him sitting at the Resolute Desk? What a great desk,” Trump said.

One muddled addition in Wisconsin involved squatters’ rights, a hot topic related to immigration now: “If you have illegal aliens invading your home, we will deport you,” presumably meaning the migrant would be deported instead of the homeowner. He wanted to create a federal taskforce to end squatting, he said.

“Sounds like a little bit of a weird topic but it’s not, it’s a very bad thing,” he said.

These half-cocked remarks aren’t new; they are a feature of who Trump is and how he communicates that to the public, and that’s key to understanding how he is as a leader.

The New York Times opinion writer Jamelle Bouie described it as “something akin to the soft bigotry of low expectations”, whereby no one expected him to behave in an orderly fashion or communicate well.

Some of these bizarre asides are best seen in full, like this one about Biden at the beach in Trump’s Georgia response to the State of the Union:

“Somebody said he looks great in a bathing suit, right? And you know, when he was in the sand and he was having a hard time lifting his feet through the sand, because you know sand is heavy, they figured three solid ounces per foot, but sand is a little heavy, and he’s sitting in a bathing suit. Look, at 81, do you remember Cary Grant? How good was Cary Grant, right? I don’t think Cary Grant, he was good. I don’t know what happened to movie stars today. We used to have Cary Grant and Clark Gable and all these people. Today we have, I won’t say names, because I don’t need enemies. I don’t need enemies. I got enough enemies. But Cary Grant was, like – Michael Jackson once told me, ‘The most handsome man, Trump, in the world.’ ‘Who?’ ‘Cary Grant.’ Well, we don’t have that any more, but Cary Grant at 81 or 82, going on 100. This guy, he’s 81, going on 100. Cary Grant wouldn’t look too good in a bathing suit, either. And he was pretty good-looking, right?”

Or another Hollywood-related bop, inspired by a rant about Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s romantic relationship:

“It’s a magnificent love story, like Gone With the Wind. You know Gone With the Wind, you’re not allowed to watch it any more. You know that, right? It’s politically incorrect to watch Gone With the Wind. They have a list. What were the greatest movies ever made? Well, Gone With the Wind is usually number one or two or three. And then they have another list you’re not allowed to watch any more, Gone With the Wind. You tell me, is our country screwed up?”

He still claims to have “done more for Black people than any president other than Abraham Lincoln” and also now says he’s being persecuted more than Lincoln and Andrew Jackson:

“ All my life you’ve heard of Andrew Jackson, he was actually a great general and a very good president. They say that he was persecuted as president more than anybody else, second was Abraham Lincoln. This is just what they said. This is in the history books. They were brutal, Andrew Jackson’s wife actually died over it.”

You not only see the truly bizarre nature of Trump’s speeches when viewing them in full, but you see the sheer breadth of his menace and animus toward those who disagree with him.

His comments especially toward migrants have grown more dehumanizing. He has said they are “poisoning the blood” of the US – a nod at Great Replacement Theory, the far-right conspiracy that the left is orchestrating migration to replace white people. Trump claimed the people coming in were “prisoners, murderers, drug dealers, mental patients and terrorists, the worst they have”. He has repeatedly called migrants “animals”.

“Democrats said please don’t call them ‘animals’. I said, no, they’re not humans, they’re animals,” he said during a speech in Michigan this week.

“In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion,” he said during his March appearance in Ohio. “But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say. “These are animals, OK, and we have to stop it,” he said.

And he has turned more authoritarian in his language, saying he would be a “dictator on day one” but then later said it would only be for a day. He’s called his political enemies “vermin”: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” he said in New Hampshire in late 2023.

At a speech in March in Ohio about the US auto industry he claimed there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost, which some interpreted as him claiming there would be violence if he loses the election.

Trump’s campaign said later that he meant the comment to be specific to the auto industry, but now the former president has started saying Biden created a “border bloodbath” and the Republican National Committee created a website to that effect as well.

It’s tempting to find a coherent line of attack in Trump speeches to try to distill the meaning of a rambling story. And it’s sometimes hard to even figure out the full context of what he’s saying, either in text or subtext and perhaps by design, like the “bloodbath” comment or him saying there wouldn’t be another election if he doesn’t win this one.

But it’s only in seeing the full breadth of the 2024 Trump speech that one can truly understand what kind of president he could become if he won the election.

“It’s easiest to understand the threat that Trump poses to American democracy most clearly when you see it for yourself,” Susan B Glasser wrote in the New Yorker. “Small clips of his craziness can be too easily dismissed as the background noise of our times.”

If you ask Trump himself, of course, these are just examples that Trump is smart.

“The fake news will say, ‘Oh, he goes from subject to subject.’ No, you have to be very smart to do that. You got to be very smart. You know what it is? It’s called spot-checking. You’re thinking about something when you’re talking about something else, and then you get back to the original. And they go, ‘Holy shit. Did you see what he did?’ It’s called intelligence.”

• Donald Trump
• US elections 2024
• Republicans
• US politics

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