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?
He always exaggerates, so you should only take about half of what he says seriously.
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"
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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.