The hyperbole trend.

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Do you have trouble dealing with it? There's this odd thing of describing things to the hilt. The most mundane things have become awesome and epic. Do you just play along or is it difficult for you to use this language if you don't really mean it?

For example, I'll call something good or pretty good and I say it meant as a compliment and on the rare occasions that something does blow me away I'll say so. But people seem disappointed by these describers. Has anyone else noticed this? I actually think they're the strange ones

I definitely don't believe in hyperbole. It's like "crying wolf."

Something that is truly awesome acquires less "awesomeness" because of the mundane things which have undeserved "awesome" status.

Is it possible that they were disappointed for some other reason? Like maybe they really enjoy the things you were describing and wanted to share an interest with you?


I haven't noticed it outside of advertising, but I have noticed a (possibly related) phenomenon: people take offence if anyone brings up anything they deem "negative." It's as if there's an unspoken rule that the purpose of the conversation is to make people feel good, so only "positive" things should be discussed.

I have noticed all of this.

An example would be I would eat at a restaurant on a regular basis and the person would ask me how the food was. My answer is good, which it was and I considered that complimentary. The person then was trying to get me to say that it was awesome, which it wasn't. I'd save that description for a mind blowing meal which only happens rarely. And I've just been noticing that it seems like almost everything is described that way (in American culture....not sure that it applies anywhere else) and it comes across as disingenuous. And if you don't describe it in such hyperbolic ways you're often perceived as negative. I have a hard time giving compliments so as it is and especially find it difficult to fake it and I think that might be an aspie trait.

It's rhetorical tool to convey emotions and make a point, I can understand how it bothers people who take things literally and perhaps things would easier to understand otherwise. I make use of it when debating and trying to be persuasive, most people do.

Is the other person usually someone who has already tried the thing they are asking you about?

Not necessarily. I think it's because she sees me quite often and finds it peculiar that my reactions are more muted than everyone else's.

Yeah, I know whatcha mean----saying something is "awesome" has gotten really old, in-my-book. I don't like to use expressions like that, unless I feel it, either----and, what may be WORSE, is that when I say something is "BEYOND fabulous", for instance, people may have thought it was hyperbole, and it isn't; it's just that, like you say, hyperbole is overused (and, UNDER-FELT).

I don't mind when people say stuff like: "Oh, yeah, I've done that a million times", cuz I do that, myself----mainly, cuz I can't remember the exact number, but it was ALOT. LOL

I think I file it in my brain in the same way that words often have more than one meaning. Like ring can be something on your finger or the noise a telephone makes, so awesome can mean good or actually amazing. So if they said it in a very neutral tone I might think they just meant good. I think the trouble I have is that quite often I do find the most ordinary things mind-blowingly good (like cheesecake or my glittery toilet seat- or at the moment, Christmas decortions!) and if someone were to say something was awesome with the least bit of enthusiasm I'd probably think they were really awed, even if they are just joking or exaggerating.

I know we use words differently in England, too, so maybe I'm missing the point of this thread.

If something inspires awe, and it inspires awe in a good way, then it is "awesome".

If the thing inspires awe, but in a bad way, then it is "awful".

The Grand Canyon, or an Olympic swimmer's performance, might be "awesome".

The latest atrocity by ISIL would doubtless be "awful".

It aint rocket science. Its embedded in the structure of the word itself in plain sight.

Do folks use "awesome" too much? I dunno. I guess its relative to the situation. When you are served cheesecake your expectations are mundane so when those expectations are exceeded in a good way then relative to those mundane expectations the cheesecake might be "awesome". Lol!

Yes, I think over-use of hyperbole somewhat numbs us to the things that are more worthy of being called "epic", "awesome", "horrifying", "tragic", "tremendous", "exceptional" etc..

Yet, it's still not as aggravating as someone using a word to refer to its opposite (ie. "He answered 20 questions correctly in a row! He's literally on fire!")