Which device is an extreme exaggeration for emphasis or humor?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Metaphor
• C. Denotation
• D. Hyperbole

Answer: (D)

Extreme exaggeration for emphasis or humor is hyperbole. It makes something seem far bigger, scarier, or more dramatic than it really is to create a strong effect or a laugh, and it’s understood as not literally true. For instance, saying “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” uses hyperbole to show how extremely hungry you feel. The emphasis comes from blowing things out of proportion, not from stating a factual description.

Alliteration, by contrast, repeats initial sounds for rhythm and sound play rather than to magnify a point. A metaphor draws a direct comparison between two unlike things to illuminate a quality, but it doesn’t inherently rely on exaggeration. Denotation is simply the literal meaning of a word, not a stylistic device used to boost humor or intensity.