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Indian22 Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

exaggerate

I have heard more than one person use (over exaggerate). I believe this to be incorrect. Shouldn't it be exaggerate? Exaggerate is an overstatement; therefore, over is incorrect...
  

Top answer

Yes. There's quite a few of those types of errors around, especially in everyday speech. There should be a term for such expressions.

— Davkett

  • Yes.
  • There's quite a few of those types of errors around, especially in everyday speech.
  • There should be a term for such expressions.
  • Maybe there is.
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15 Answers
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Yes. There's quite a few of those types of errors around, especially in everyday speech. There should be a term for such expressions. Maybe there is.
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I suppose you might apply eye make-up to exaggerate the size of your eyes.

If you applied too much eye make-up, you might then be accused of overexaggerating the size of your eyes...

MrP
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ForbesPleonasm.
Yay. A new word for me. Thanks, Forbes. I have many occasions where I think I can practice using it.
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Hi,

Well, if you can over-exaggerate, I think you should be able to under-exaggerate.

Clive
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CliveHi,

Well, if you can over-exaggerate, I think you should be able to under-exaggerate.

Clive

That's presumably when you exaggerate, but not enough.
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Just noticed that in another thread I wrote: I also felt that they over-exaggerated....Emotion: embarrassed

This leads me to con
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I've had second thoughts about this, too. It seems to me that one can over-do (and under-do) just about anything, even things that already have to do with over-doing (like 'exaggerating') or under-doing (like 'understating'). I recall, though, thinking it terribly strange the first time I heard an art critic complain about a particular painting that it was 'too organic'.
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A long time ago, someone put on an exhibition of soiled nappies at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The gist of many reactions was: "too organic"...

MrP
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Well, regarding the use of pleonasms(new word for me too btw), I'd say many are in use in the English language, and they're here to stay. For example,

"Old crone". "Crone" means "old woman", so in effect you're saying "old old woman" - pleonasm. Here's a list of them I found -

  • ABM missile (AntiBallistic Missile missile)
  • ABS system (A
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