Why you should avoid superlatives and hyperbole in your writing (2024)

FAQs

Why you should avoid superlatives and hyperbole in your writing? ›

1) Avoid absolutes, superlatives and clichés

The main purpose of a hyperbole is to emphasise something or to make a mind-blowing effect on the reader or listener. Degrees of comparison and other adjectives can be employed to construct a hyperbole. A hyperbole should never be taken literally as they are exaggerated statements and are not exactly true.

Superlative adjectives are seldom used correctly and they're often overused. When we use words like best, worst, greatest, most, never, and always, we typically use them for emphasis, not accuracy. It's sloppy usage and if used too often, the terms lose their meaning.

Superlatives are like paper currency: Issue too many and the value falls. Listeners will shrug when you overuse expressions like “the best,” “the most amazing,” and “the greatest.” These high-octane words may project enthusiasm, but of a superficial sort.

Hyperbole is often used in poems and stories because it helps to emphasise part of the story and evoke a response from the reader. Hyperbole can help the writer to get their point across so that you understand the emotion, seriousness or humour of the situation.

Best-ever claims are difficult to prove and if you set the bar too high, it's easy to fall short. Hyperbolic clichés can also make you feel like a million dollars, but they're also unreliable and, in some cases, laughable.

Hyperboles have diminishing returns.

You may draw a crowd the first time you say, “Be here tonight! It will be our biggest event ever!” But each time you employ the tactic, the result is inevitably less than the previous time. The same principle applies to negative hyperbole.

Superlatives aren't credible and don't say any good about the level of imagination and communication of the writer. There are other more plausible ways to convey the exceptionality of your product without resorting to superlatives: Convey the benefits of your product or service and write powerful customer testimonials.

The misuse of the superlative occurs when a comparison is made between two things or people and the superlative form is used incorrectly. Wrong: Of the two textbooks, the oldest edition is the best.

We use superlatives in speech and writing when we want to express the fact that something is at the very top (or bottom) of its game - it can't be beaten. Sometimes it's necessary to think about these extremes. If you need to reach something from a high shelf, you might ask the tallest person in your class to help you.

What is the difference between hyperbole and superlative? ›

Hyperbole: Exaggeration that is unrealistic. “That was so boring, I almost died.” Superlative: The highest degree of something. “The best coffee in New York.”

Avoiding exaggeration and superlatives in business communication is essential for maintaining clarity, trust, and credibility. Using clear and concise language projects a more credible image and ensures the message is understood.

Exaggeration is the representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it is, intentionally or unintentionally. It can be a rhetorical device or figure of speech, used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression.

The usage of hyperbole is quite common among writers because it helps them to strongly emphasize certain sentiments, emotions, or situations. In other words, hyperbole is applied to express something the intensity of which can't be quite captured by regular phrases.

Hyperbole uses figurative language to make an overstatement or exaggeration. This figure of speech creates emphasis and depending on the context, you can use it for comic or dramatic effect, to create vivid images, or to convey intensity or emotion.

An example of hyperbole is: “this is the worst day of my life.” Exaggeration is used for dramatic effect to emphasise a bad day.

In using hyperbole, you take an ordinary exaggeration to new heights. If I'm really hungry, I might say, “I'm so hungry I could eat that entire pizza” even though I really mean I could eat a slice or two beyond my usual consumption.

obvious and intentional exaggeration. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

Hyperbole uses figurative language to make an overstatement or exaggeration. This figure of speech creates emphasis and depending on the context, you can use it for comic or dramatic effect, to create vivid images, or to convey intensity or emotion.