aufbauschen

The German word "aufbauschen" is a verb meaning "to exaggerate" or "to make a fuss out of something".

• Made of:
  • auf = up, onto
  • bauschen = to fluff up, to puff up

Similar words:

• übertreiben (to exaggerate)
• hervorheben (to emphasize)
• aufblasen (to blow up, metaphorically to exaggerate)

Difference:

• aufbauschen emphasizes making something seem bigger or more important than it is by "puffing up" the matter.
• übertreiben is a general term for exaggeration without the idea of "inflating".
• hervorheben focuses more on emphasis rather than distortion.
• aufblasen is very close to aufbauschen but can also refer to literal "inflating".