Which sentence is an example of hyperbole?

Which sentence is an example of hyperbole?

• A. The storm had a huge effect on the town.
• B. I will finish my homework later.
• C. The storm's rain lasted all day.
• D. My backpack weighs a ton.

Answer: (D)

Hyperbole is a way of emphasizing something by making an extreme exaggeration that isn’t meant to be taken literally. The sentence about the backpack uses this device by saying it “weighs a ton.” People don’t literally weigh a ton, but the phrase communicates that the backpack feels incredibly heavy and burdensome. The other sentences describe real or likely situations without exaggerating to an impossible or ridiculous degree, so they don’t demonstrate hyperbole.

Hyperbole is a way of emphasizing something by making an extreme exaggeration that isn’t meant to be taken literally. The sentence about the backpack uses this device by saying it “weighs a ton.” People don’t literally weigh a ton, but the phrase communicates that the backpack feels incredibly heavy and burdensome. The other sentences describe real or likely situations without exaggerating to an impossible or ridiculous degree, so they don’t demonstrate hyperbole.