What is a hyperbole?

   Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is an exaggeration. Persona often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," "I was hopping mad," and "I tried a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction. Sometimes there is humor in such statements, and usually everybody knows they are not true. Hyperboles are common in everyday speech, and in poetry and other literature.