| Main Entry: | exaggerate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | overstate, embellish |
Synonyms: |
amplify, blow out of proportion, boast, boost, brag, build up, caricature, color, cook up, corrupt, distort, embroider, emphasize, enlarge, exalt, expand, fabricate, falsify, fudge, go to extremes, heighten, hike, hyperbolize, inflate, intensify, lay it on thick, lie, loud talk, magnify, make too much of, misquote, misreport, misrepresent, overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overestimate, pad, pretty up, puff, put on, pyramid, romance, romanticize, scam, stretch, up* |
Antonyms: |
depreciate, minimize, play down, reduce, understate |
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
Synonyms: |
complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
Antonyms: |
alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | amplify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | increase in size or effect |
Synonyms: |
add, augment, beef up, boost, build up, deepen, develop, elaborate, enlarge, exaggerate, expand, expatiate, extend, flesh out, heighten, hike up, inflate, intensify, jack up, lengthen, magnify, pad, pyramid, raise, soup up, strengthen, stretch, supplement, swell, up, widen |
Antonyms: |
abridge, compress, condense, contract, curtail, decrease, lessen, reduce, shorten, summarize |
| Main Entry: | blow up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | magnify importance |
Synonyms: |
enlarge, exaggerate, heighten, overstate |
Antonyms: |
ignore, let go |
| Main Entry: | boast |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | brag |
Synonyms: |
advertise, aggrandize, attract attention, blow, blow one's own horn, blow smoke, bluster, bully, cock-a-doodle-doo, con, congratulate oneself, crow, exaggerate, exult, fake, flatter oneself, flaunt, flourish, gasconade, give a good account of oneself, gloat, glory, grandstand, hug oneself, jive, lay on thick, prate, preen, psych, puff, shoot*, shovel, show off, showboat, shuck, sling, sound off, strut, swagger, talk big, triumph, vapor |
Antonyms: |
be modest, deprecate |
| Main Entry: | dramatize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make a performance of |
Synonyms: |
act, amplify, burlesque, enact, exaggerate, execute, farcialize, give color to, ham it up, lay it on, make a production of, melodramatize, overdo, overstate, perform, play on heartstrings, play to gallery, play up, playact, present, produce, show, splash, stage, tragedize |
| Main Entry: | embellish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make beautiful; decorate |
Synonyms: |
add bells and whistles, adorn, amplify, array, beautify, bedeck, color, deck, dress up, elaborate, emblaze, embroider, enhance, enrich, exaggerate, festoon, fix up, fudge, garnish, gild, give details, grace, gussy up, magnify, ornament, overstate, spiff up, spruce up, trim |
Antonyms: |
deface, disfigure, mar, simplify, spoil, uglify |
| Main Entry: | emote |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | express emotion |
Synonyms: |
act, dramatize, exaggerate, ham it up, overact, overdramatize, overplay |
| Main Entry: | enhance |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | improve, embellish |
Synonyms: |
add to, adorn, aggrandize, amplify, appreciate, augment, beautify, boom, boost, build up, complement, elevate, embroider, enlarge, exaggerate, exalt, flesh out, heighten, increase, intensify, lift, magnify, pad, pyramid, raise, reinforce, strengthen, swell, upgrade |
Antonyms: |
decrease, fix, lower, minimize, reduce, worsen |
| Main Entry: | enlarge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make or grow bigger; increase |
Synonyms: |
add to, aggrandize, amplify, augment, beef up, blow up, boost, broaden, build, bulk, develop, diffuse, dilate, distend, elaborate, elongate, embroider, exaggerate, expand, expatiate, extend, give details, grow, grow larger, heighten, inflate, jack up, jazz up, lengthen, magnify, make larger, mount, multiply, pad, pyramid, rise, slap on, snowball, spread, stretch, swell, upsurge, wax, widen |
Antonyms: |
abridge, compress, condense, curtail, decrease, diminish, lessen, lower, reduce, shrink |