夸大
kuā dà · HSK 7
to exaggerate
🎈 夸 boast + 大 big = to talk something up bigger than it is
夸 — big 大 + on/in 亏 (phonetic)
夸 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 大 ('big') gives the meaning of exaggeration or grandness, while 亏 supplies the sound. Originally it meant to boast or speak grandly, and it still carries senses of 'brag' and 'praise' in modern Chinese.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.