Explanation

The term "hyperbole" best describes an exaggeration

Hyperbole is a rhetorical device used specifically to make exaggerated statements 

It is used to emphasize a point or create a dramatic effect.

For example:

Saying "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" is hyperbole.

It exaggerates the speaker's hunger to emphasize how very hungry they feel

Even though they don't intend to eat a horse