how to say “to exaggerate” and “over the top” in Hebrew…

ByAmi Steinberger

 

לְהַגְזִים, מֻגְזָם



Tonight’s my last night in LA before I board a flight to TLV via Madrid (9 hour stopover! Viva Madrid!). 


My dear mom just requested this dose, which I faintly recall having done a while ago… but a refresher ain’t a bad idea once in a while. Plus, I’m sure I’ll include some info I didn’t include the first time around.


To exaggerate, literally, is לְהַגְזִים (leh-hahg-ZEEM). But the word isn’t reserved only for the literal sense. You can say that a person is overdoing something using the same word – הִיא מַגְזִימָה עִם כָּל הַמַּתָּנוֹת (hee mahg-zee-MAH eem kohl hah-mah-tah-NOHT) – She’s overdoing it with all the gifts.


להגזים is a verb that falls into the “active-causative” הפעיל (heef-EEL) pattern.


Similarly, you could say that something is overdone using the “passive-causative” form, the הופעל (hoof-AHL): לְהִשָּׁאֵר עֵר כָּל הַלָּיְלָה זֶה מֻגְזָם (leh-hee-shah-EHR ehr kohl hah-LAH-ee-lah zeh moog-ZAHM) – To stay up all night is over the top. 


בְּעֶצֶם, זֶה תָּלוּי בַּנְּסִבּוֹת (beh-EH-tsem, zeh tah-LOO-ee bah-neh-see-BOHT) – Actually, that depends on the circumstances.



 



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