hyperbolic

H4Y4P3E1R1B3O1L1I1C3
US/ˌhaɪ.pɚˈbɔl.ɪk/

adjective

Of or relating to hyperbole.

Meanings

hyperbolic1

adjectivehyperbolic (comparative more hyperbolic, superlative most hyperbolic)

comparative more hyperbolic · superlative most hyperbolic · alternative hyperbolical · alternative obsolete hyperbolick

  1. Of or relating to hyperbole.
  2. Using hyperbole: exaggerated.

    At the risk of being slightly hyperbolic, the fourth season of The Simpsons is the greatest thing in the history of the universe.

    2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 26 May 2012

    Synonyms: exaggerative

  3. color theoryOf a perceived color, having a saturation exceeding 100%.
    1 more example

    Using the techniques already explored, we can contrive to activate a coding triplet in any one of those four extremal corners. If one fixates at length on a pale blue-green stimulus, as in Figure 18, and then refixates on an already maximally saturated orange surface, then the resituated f/p vector will yield an activation triplet within the farthest corner of the cube, beyond the limits of the classical spindle. The H–J theory of our internal color representations entails that one should there find a circular after-image of a hyperbolic orange, an orange that is more "ostentatiously orange" than any (non-self-luminous) orange you have ever seen, or ever will see, as the objective color of a physical object. Row 1 of Figure 19 will allow you, once more, to test such a prediction for yourself.

    2005, Paul Churchland, “Chimerical colors: some phenomenological predictions from cognitive neuroscience”, in Philosophical Psychology, volume 18, number 5, →DOI, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2022, page 553

hyperbolic2

adjectivehyperbolic (not comparable)

alternative hyperbolical · alternative obsolete hyperbolick

  1. not comparableOf or pertaining to a hyperbola.

    In this configuration the on-axis image is produced at the real hyperbolic focus (fₛ₂) but off-axis performance suffers.

    1988, R. F. Leftwich, "Wide-Band Radiation Thermometers", chapter 7 of, David P. DeWitt and Gene D. Nutter, editors, Theory and Practice of Radiation Thermometry, page 512 http://books.google.com/books?id=SZ6Ldatd7OAC&pg=PA512&dq=hyperbolic
  2. not comparableIndicates that the specified function is a hyperbolic function rather than a trigonometric function.

    The hyperbolic cosine of zero is one.

  3. not comparablemathematicsHaving negative curvature or sectional curvature.

    There is a universal constant m_0>0 such that every hyperbolic surface R has an embedded hyperbolic disk with radius greater than m_0.

    1998, Katsuhiko Matsuzaki and Masahiko Taniguchi, Hyperbolic Manifolds and Kleinian Groups, 2002 reprint, Oxford, page 8, proposition 0.10 http://books.google.com/books?id=DLAGEBfEgEUC&pg=PA8&dq=hyperbolic
  4. not comparablegeometryWhose domain has two (possibly ideal) fixed points joined by a line mapped to itself by translation.

    A hyperbolic isometry f has two (distinct) fixed points on ∂ℋ.

    2001, A. F. Beardon, "The Geometry of Riemann Surfaces", in, E. Bujalance, A. F. Costa, and E. Martínez, editors, Topics on Riemann Surfaces and Fuchsian Groups, Cambridge, page 6 http://books.google.com/books?id=RjbQdcP7DgwC&pg=PA6&dq=hyperbolic
  5. not comparablemathematicsOf, pertaining to, or in a hyperbolic space (a space having negative curvature or sectional curvature).

    Exactly one hypercycle is a hyperbolic geodesic, and this is called the axis A_f of f.

    2001, A. F. Beardon, "The Geometry of Riemann Surfaces", in, E. Bujalance, A. F. Costa, and E. Martínez, editors, Topics on Riemann Surfaces and Fuchsian Groups, Cambridge, page 6 http://books.google.com/books?id=RjbQdcP7DgwC&pg=PA6&dq=hyperbolic

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveUsing hyperbole: exaggerated.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveenlarged beyond truth or reasonableness

Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

hyperbolic · adjective

  1. Ancient Greekὑπερβολικός
  2. Latinhyperbolic(us)
  3. Englishhyperbolic

From Latin hyperbolic(us), from Ancient Greek ὑπερβολικός (huperbolikós). First attested in the 15th century. By surface analysis, hyperbol(e) + -ic.

Full word history & related roots →

hyperbolic · adjective

First attested in 1676. By surface analysis, hyperbol(a) + -ic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans hiperbolies
  • hiperboliesexaggerated
Catalan hiperbòlic, hiperbòlic
  • hiperbòlicexaggerated
  • hiperbòlicpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Czech nadsazený, nadnesený
  • nadsazenýexaggerated
  • nadnesenýexaggerated
  • hyperbolickýpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Danish hyperbolsk
  • hyperbolskpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Dutch hyperbolisch
  • hyperbolischpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Esperanto hiperbola
  • hiperbolaexaggerated
Finnish hyperbolinen, hyperbolinen
  • hyperbolinenexaggerated
  • hyperbolinenpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
French hyperbolique, hyperbolique
  • hyperboliqueexaggerated
  • hyperboliquepertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
German hyperbolisch, übertrieben
  • hyperbolischexaggerated
  • übertriebenexaggerated
  • hyperbolischpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Hindi अतिपरवलयिक
  • अतिपरवलयिक (atipravalyik)pertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Icelandic breiðger
  • breiðgerpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Irish áibhéalach, urtheilgeach
  • áibhéalachexaggerated
  • urtheilgeachexaggerated
  • hipearbóileachpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Italian iperbolico
  • iperbolicoexaggerated
Polish hiperboliczny
  • hiperbolicznypertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Portuguese hiperbólico, hiperbólico
  • hiperbólicoexaggerated
  • hiperbólicopertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Russian гиперболи́ческий, преувели́ченный
  • гиперболи́ческий (giperbolíčeskij)exaggerated
  • преувели́ченный (preuvelíčennyj)exaggerated
  • гиперболи́ческий (giperbolíčeskij)pertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Spanish hiperbólico, hiperbólico
  • hiperbólicoexaggerated
  • hiperbólicopertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Swedish överdriven, hyperbolisk
  • överdrivenexaggerated
  • hyperboliskpertaining to a mathematical hyperbola
Ukrainian гіперболі́чний, гіперболі́чний
  • гіперболі́чний (hiperbolíčnyj)exaggerated
  • гіперболі́чний (hiperbolíčnyj)pertaining to a mathematical hyperbola

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hyperbolic

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

hyperbolic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperbolic

MLA

“hyperbolic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperbolic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hyperbolic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hyperbolic.

Source: hyperbolic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.