誇張

• Reading: こちょう
• Romaji: kochou
• Kanji breakdown: 誇 (ko) — boast, exaggerate; 張 (chō) — stretch, extend
• Pronunciation: /ko.tɕoː/

Meaning

Exaggeration; overstating something beyond what is accurate or true.

A noun (also used as する verb: 誇張する) meaning to overstate or magnify something beyond reality. Used in literary criticism, everyday conversation, advertising, and media analysis. Common phrases: 誇張する (to exaggerate), 誇張表現 (hyperbole), 誇張なしに (without exaggeration). Can be both negative (misleading) and rhetorical (for effect).

Examples

1. 彼の話はいつも誇張が多くて信じられない。 His stories are always full of exaggeration, so I can't believe them.
2. 誇張なしに言うと、あの映画は今年最高の作品だ。 Without exaggeration, that movie is the best film of the year.
3. 広告で商品の効果を誇張するのは問題がある。 Exaggerating a product's effectiveness in advertising is problematic.

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, media, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 誇 (boast, pride, exaggerate) + 張 (stretch, extend). Together they describe the act of stretching or inflating the truth — making something seem larger or greater than it is.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal