What is the literary term for an extreme exaggeration used to make a point?

The literary term for an extreme exaggeration used to make a point is hyperbole. Hyperbole is often employed in literature and everyday speech to create strong impressions or to emphasize emotions, ideas, or situations. For example, when someone says, "I've told you a million times," it is not meant to be taken literally but is intended to stress how often they have repeated something.

Understanding hyperbole helps readers recognize when authors are using exaggeration for effect, which can add humor, drama, or intensity to a narrative. This literary device is distinct from other terms like metaphor, which compares two unrelated things without using "like" or "as"; oxymoron, which combines contradictory terms for effect; and alliteration, the repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words. Each of these terms serves its own purpose in writing, but only hyperbole specifically denotes the use of extreme exaggeration.