Understanding hyperbole vs idioms: What’s the difference and how should you use them?

Hyperbole and idioms, though both forms of figurative language, serve distinctly different purposes.

Simply put, hyperbole is the use of obvious and intentional exaggeration (e.g. ‘I’ve waited an eternity’), while idioms encapsulate specific, non-literal meanings (e.g. ‘cut to the chase’).

This article will explain the details of hyperbole vs idioms, with plenty of examples, equipping you to recognize and use both literary devices effectively.

What is the difference between hyperbole and idioms?

The main difference is that hyperbole is a form of extreme exaggeration used to emphasize a point or evoke strong emotions, whereas idioms are phrases that carry figurative meanings separate from their literal interpretation.

Other differences between hyperbole and idioms are:

• Their purpose
• How they are understood
• How they are created

When you claim “I’m so happy, I could explode,” you are using hyperbole to exaggerate how happy you are.

You could use the idiom ‘on cloud nine’ to mean the same thing.

A non-native speaker would probably be able to guess the meaning of the first example, but the second is a completely abstract expression that you’d only understand if you have learned it.

Another key difference between idioms and hyperbole is that you can be creative with hyperbole and make up your own expressions, but you can’t create your own idioms.

Is hyperbole a type of idiom?

Hyperbole is rarely idiomatic; it usually states a point clearly but in an exaggerated way. Idioms, on the other hand, have a non-literal meaning and can only be understood if you are familiar with the phrase.

Some phrases blur the lines between idioms and hyperbole, though. For example, we could say it is ‘bucketing down’ to mean it is raining very hard. Is this purely idiomatic, or is it an exaggeration that suggests that someone is tipping buckets of water down from the sky?

What is hyperbole?

Hyperbole is a literary device that uses exaggeration to stress a point or evoke strong feelings. In our everyday language, we often use hyperbole without even realizing it.

For instance, when you exclaim, “I’ve told you a million times,” you’re not actually keeping count. You’re using hyperbole to express frustration or emphasize the repetition.

And if you tell your friend “This is the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten,” they aren’t expecting that you can really recall all the sandwiches you’ve eaten in the past. They would just understand that it’s a fantastic sandwich.

What is the purpose of hyperbole?

The main purpose of hyperbole is to exaggerate or amplify a point. There are several reasons why you might do this:

• To make a joke
• To emphasize how serious or sincere you are
• To create a sense of drama
• To deepen the emotional impact for readers or listeners
• To add more expression to writing and speech
• To be more persuasive

Hyperbole is often used in politics and the advertising industry as a persuasive tool. Have you ever heard a politician say “This is the most important election of our lifetime,” or an advertisement tell you “This is the only knife you will ever need”? They were using hyperbole.

Is hyperbole a type of metaphor?

Hyperbole can be metaphorical, and it can also take the form of a simile – both of these literary devices make comparisons between two things.

For instance, “I’m as hungry as a lion”, is a hyperbolic simile whereas “My stomach is an empty pit” is a hyperbolic metaphor.

You can read more about idioms vs metaphors vs similes here.

Common examples of hyperbole

The following phrases (or variations of them) are common examples of hyperbole in English:

• I’ve told you a million times!
• This was the best day ever!
• It took forever.
• I’m starving.
• My feet are killing me.
• This box weighs a ton.
• I’m dying of thirst.
• She nearly died of embarrassment.
• That’s the cutest cat ever!
• The worst thing just happened…
• You haven’t visited me for ages!
• I’m so tired, I could sleep for a year.
• It feels like you’re a million miles away.
• This house is such a mess; there are toys everywhere!
• The show was so funny, we all died laughing.
• That car alarm kept me up all night.

But, as we mentioned earlier, you can have fun playing around with hyperbole and creating your own exaggerated phrases. As long as the meaning is clear, there are no fixed rules or phrases you must use – and that’s an important difference between hyperbole and idioms.

Check out some interesting examples of hyperbole in literature and pop culture here.

What are idioms?

Idioms are phrases with figurative meaning. Every idiom has a specific definition but it cannot be understood from the individual words.

For example, ‘walking on eggshells’ means being careful about what you do or say in a sensitive situation.

Therefore, idiom definitions must be learned as part of learning a language and are difficult for many non-native speakers to master.

Some common idioms in English are:

• Barking up the wrong tree: Pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action
• Have butterflies in your stomach: To feel nervous or anxious
• Kill two birds with one stone: To accomplish two things with one action
• Eat humble pie: To admit that you were wrong or made a mistake
• A piece of cake: Very easy
• Bite the bullet: To face a difficult situation with courage and determination
• Raining cats and dogs: Raining very hard
• Have a word: To speak to someone briefly
• Kick the bucket: To die
• Eat your words: To admit that what you said was wrong

Browse our idiom articles to discover hundreds more of these fun phrases and their figurative meaning:

When to use idioms vs hyperbole vs literal meaning

Hyperbole is usually confined to casual speech, unless used deliberately for literary effect or persuasion. In more formal situations, like business meetings, extreme exaggeration may not be appropriate.

Idioms, on the other hand, are a more generally accepted part of everyday speech and can be used in any setting. In fact, some figures of speech like euphemisms are best to use in formal contexts.

When speaking to a non-native speaker, especially if their English is not yet fluent, it’s best to avoid idioms since they might cause confusion. Keep your language on a literal level where possible.

When it comes to hyperbole, consider whether the person is likely to understand given their level of English. Of course, if it’s appropriate, you can introduce this language and take the time to explain the literal meaning if the person seems confused.

Where hyperbole and idioms intersect

While idioms and hyperbole are distinct forms of figurative language, they can sometimes intersect and become entwined over time.

A phrase that was created as hyperbole, if it becomes established in the language, can turn into an idiom as people use it without considering the exaggerated meaning.

A good example of this is the Shakespearean idiom ‘eat someone out of house and home’. This means to eat a lot of food while staying at someone’s house (or your own home). If you consider the literal meaning, it’s an exaggeration suggesting that you are completely depleting the host’s resources by eating so much.

Another example of hyperbole becoming an idiom is ‘nothing but skin and bones’. This is an idiom about poor health which describes someone who is extremely thin or emaciated. Of course it’s an exaggeration – because the person must still have organs and fluids in their body – but it has taken on this figurative meaning.

Summary: Hyperbole vs idioms

Hyperbole is a fun way to make a point or evoke emotions by exaggerating, and you are free to create your own examples. An idiom is a figure of speech that cannot be understood from the meaning of each individual word.

There is not much overlap between these literary devices, although over time, a hyperbolic phrase can become an idiom if it is widely used in the language.

Both idioms and hyperbole are important to understand and practice if you’re learning English. We hope this article and the examples we have given help you understand the difference between hyperbole and idioms so you can be more confident using them yourself.