In this podcast, you’ll learn thousands of expressions of exaggeration and hyperbole so that you can make your English more colourful and engaging. Well, maybe not thousands!
Voice message from Walter from Belgium who’s moved to Italy – So, he’s now Walter from Italy!
Congratulations on getting your Bachelor’s degree.
I’ve wanted to send you this voice message XsinceX (for) a while.
angry and hungry / anger and hunger
hungry and starving
gambling and playing
gambling with his life
playing with fire
Strong adjectives: https://inglespodcast.com/76
Gradable and Ungradable Adjectives: https://inglespodcast.com/508
Exaggeration and hyperbole
Hyperboles are great for making speech more colourful and expressive.
Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that uses extreme exaggeration to make something sound stronger, funnier, or more dramatic than it really is.
Example: I’m so tired I could sleep for a year! (This doesn’t mean a year; it just means very tired.)
I’m starving! (= I’m very hungry) “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
I’m dying of thirst! (= I’m very thirsty)
I’m freezing! (= I’m very cold)
I’m boiling! (= I’m very hot)
This bag weighs a ton! (= it’s very heavy)
You could’ve heard a pin drop. (= It was really quiet)
I’ve told you a million times! (= I’ve told you many times)
I’m broke! (= I have no money)
I’ve got a mountain of work. (= I have a lot of work)
He runs faster than the speed of light. (= He runs very fast)
This is the worst day ever. (= a very bad day)
I laughed my head off. (= I laughed a lot)
I wet/pissed myself. (=I laughed a lot)
I’ve been waiting forever. (= I’ve waited a long time)
My feet are killing me! (= My feet are very painful)
I could kill for a cigarette right now! (= I’d really love a cigarette)
She’s older than the hills. (= She’s very old)
It cost me an arm and a leg. (= It was very expensive)
I’m shaking like a leaf. (= I’m very nervous or cold)
I was bored to death by the film. (= I was very bored)
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. Can you think of more examples of hyperbole? Send us a voice message and tell us, or send us a message practicing the expressions you’ve learned in this episode.
Send us a voice message. https://www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast
Send us an email with a comment or question to [email protected] or [email protected]
If you’re a Spanish speaker and you want to improve your English with free and paid resources, visit the mansioningles website at mansioningles.com and for paid products you can browse the online store at https://store.mansioningles.net/
Thank you to our Patreon supporters. Join our Patreon program and you get instant access to the transcriptions of this podcast and live Zoom chats so that you can practice speaking. https://www.patreon.com/inglespodcast
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In next week’s episode: Wisdom from the bible – some quotes to help you live life well.
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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’