Make a mountain out of a molehill Meaning in English
expression
MAYK uh MOWN-tuhn OWT uh MOHL-hil
MAYK uh MOWN-tin OWT ov MOHL-hil
Definition
To make a small problem seem much bigger or more serious than it really is.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, often used to criticize someone for exaggerating. Common alternatives: 'overreact', 'blow out of proportion'. Not literal; it refers to emotional or mental exaggeration, not physical.
Spanish: hacer una montaña de un grano de arena - exagerarPortuguese (BR): fazer uma tempestade em copo d'água - exagerarPortuguese (PT): fazer uma tempestade num copo de água - exagerarChinese (Simplified): 小题大做 - 把小事当大事Chinese (Traditional): 小題大做 - 把小事當大事Hindi: राई का पहाड़ बनाना - बात को बढ़ा चढ़ा कर कहनाArabic: يصنع من الحبة قبة - يبالغ في الأمورBengali: তিলকে তাল করাRussian: делать из мухи слонаJapanese: 小さなことを大げさにするVietnamese: chuyện bé xé ra toKorean: 침소봉대하다Turkish: pireyi deve yapmakUrdu: ریت کے ذرے کو پہاڑ بنا دیناIndonesian: membesar-besarkan masalah kecil
Example Sentences
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill—it's just a tiny scratch.
basic
He often makes a mountain out of a molehill when he loses something.
basic
Try not to make a mountain out of a molehill about your homework mistake.
basic
She tends to make a mountain out of a molehill whenever things don't go her way.
natural
Come on, you're totally making a mountain out of a molehill right now.
natural
There's no need to make a mountain out of a molehill—we can fix this easily.
natural