to make an ass of oneself
1
8.5
- idiom
- Offensive
- And, frankly, you're making an ass of yourself.
- make an ass of yourself in front
- stop making an ass of yourself
Examples
-
Now, let's face it, I made an ass of myself and I know it.
-
I made an ass of myself.
-
You did; you made an ass of yourself.
-
You are making an ass of yourself.
-
Robert was sure they were laughing inside, waiting for him to make an ass of himself.
Academic text (2008) -
But I'm not going to help you make an ass of yourself.
-
Stop making an ass of yourself, Gordon.
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In any event, you are making an ass of yourself with these pronouncements.
Blog text (33) -
- Why didn’t you stop me from making an ass of myself?
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When you make an ass of yourself at a party, people tend to remember it for a long time.
Synonyms
10
8.0
To behave in a silly or embarrassing way to get attention
6
9.9
To act rudely and annoy other people
2
8.4
Make someone look silly in front of other people by tricking or embarrassing them
2
8.1
To act in a silly, embarrassing way to make people laugh
1
9.9
To make yourself look foolish by doing or saying silly things
1
6.8
Behave in a silly, clumsy way to make people laugh at you
1
4.1
Act in a way that makes you look silly or embarrassed
1
9.9
Behave in a rude and stupid way
1
9.9
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
To behave so others notice you in an embarrassing way
To embarrass yourself by doing something awkward in front of other people
To behave in a silly, awkward way that looks foolish
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To behave in a rude and annoying way
How Foolish
- Offensive
1
8.5
198
2.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
make + an + ass + of + oneself
The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'make' (cause) + 'ass' (a foolish or stupid person) + 'oneself' clearly yields 'cause oneself to appear foolish.' The construction is compositionally transparent and has close parallels in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The idiom make an ass of oneself comes from comparing a person to a ass (a donkey), an animal people long saw as silly or stubborn. If you behave like a donkey — clumsy, loud, or stubborn — others laugh, so the phrase means 'to behave foolishly'.