How to say "exaggeration" in Japanese

• 過言かごんCommon
  nounExaggeration as overstatement — saying too much or going too far in what one asserts. Often used to say a claim is not much of an exaggeration, i.e. it is essentially true.
• 誇張こちょうJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe most direct, general word for exaggeration: describing something as bigger, better or worse than it really is. Use this for everyday overstatement in speech, description or advertising.
  その報告ほうこくではホールの収容能力しゅうようのうりょくが誇張こちょうされていた。↗

  The report exaggerated the capacity of the hall.
• 誇大こだいCommon
  na-adjective, nounExaggeration or hyperbole with a grandiose flavor — blowing things up to excessive scale. It behaves mainly as a modifying element rather than a standalone noun, so it is seldom the everyday word you want.
• 掛け値かけねCommon
  nounExaggeration in the sense of inflated numbers or padded figures — quoting a higher price, amount or statistic than the real one. For general figurative overstatement it is not the word you want.
• 脚色きゃくしょくJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbExaggeration as embellishment or dramatization of the facts — embroidering a story to make it more vivid or dramatic. Best when a narrative has been spiced up rather than merely overstated.

Use 誇張 for exaggeration in general; 過言 for saying more than is true; 誇大 for grandiose overstatement; 「掛け値」 for inflated figures; 脚色 for dramatized, embellished accounts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 過言かごんexaggeration
• 誇張こちょうexaggeration
• 誇大こだいexaggeration
• 針小棒大しんしょうぼうだいexaggeration
• 言い過ぎいいすぎexaggeration
• 針ほどのことを棒ほどに言うはりほどのことをぼうほどにいうexaggeration
• 逸言いつげんexaggeration
• 壮語そうごbragging
• 誇称こしょうboasting
• フカシfib
• 掛け値かけねexaggeration
• 脚色きゃくしょくembellishment (of the facts)
• 上げ底あげぞこexaggeration
• 尾ひれおひれembellishment (of a story, rumor, etc.)