make a mountain out of a molehill
English
WOTD – 29 August 2006
Pronunciation
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Verb
make a mountain out of a molehill
- (transitive, idiomatic) To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.
- If you’re stuck in traffic, try not to make a mountain out of a molehill worrying about it too much. It could be much worse.
- 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 7
- "It is only an old umbrella, isn't it?" she asked.
- She wondered why he, who did not usually trouble over trifles, made such a mountain of this molehill.
Translations
to treat a problem as greater than it is
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