1.
to exaggerate a story; to embellish; to make something sound more impressive
To add extra details or dramatic elements to a story to make it more interesting or impressive than what actually happened. Common in casual conversation, especially among younger speakers.
また話を盛ってるでしょう。
You're exaggerating again, aren't you?
ちょっと話を盛っただけだよ。
I just exaggerated a little.
彼はいつも話を盛るから、半分くらいに聞いておいたほうがいい。
He always exaggerates, so you should only take about half of what he says seriously.
SNSでは話を盛る人が多い。
On social media, there are a lot of people who embellish their stories.
A casual, modern expression meaning to exaggerate or embellish when telling a story. The verb 盛る here comes from the idea of "piling on" or "heaping up" — adding more than what actually happened. Very common in everyday conversation, particularly among younger people.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 話を盛りすぎる: to exaggerate too much
- 盛った話: an exaggerated story
- ちょっと盛ってない？: aren't you exaggerating a bit?
- 盛ってるでしょ: you're exaggerating, right?
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 大げさに言う: to say in an exaggerated way — more neutral, less playful than 盛る
- 誇張する: to exaggerate — formal, used in writing and academic contexts
- 尾ひれをつける: to add embellishments — older expression with the same meaning, literally "to add fins and tail"
REGISTER:
Informal and colloquial. Common in spoken Japanese, texting, and social media. Would feel out of place in formal writing or business settings, where 誇張する is preferred.