Engish STAAR ( State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) Practice Test

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect. The phrase "I've told you a million times" exemplifies this by using the word "million" to highlight the speaker's frustration or the frequency of their message. This expression is not meant to be taken literally, as it is unlikely that anyone has actually repeated something a million times, but it effectively conveys a strong sentiment about the speaker's feelings regarding being ignored or misunderstood.

In contrast, the other choices represent different literary devices. The phrase "He's as fast as lightning" uses a simile to make a comparison using "as." "She has a heart of gold" employs metaphor, suggesting that the individual is kind-hearted without literally referring to a golden heart. "It's raining cats and dogs" is an idiom that describes heavy rain in an imaginative way, rather than through exaggeration. Each of these serves a different purpose in language, but the first option stands out as clear hyperbole.