to raise a stink
2
7.4
- idiom
- If the manager tries to ignore our concerns, we will definitely raise a stink about it.
Examples
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Their lawyers are raising a stink.
-
Congressional Republicans raise a stink about the excessive cost.
Blog text (21) -
All of those groups felt entitled to free roads and raised a stink every time something inconvenienced motorists.
Blog text (33) -
Trust me, when enough people raise a stink, they will rethink that mindset, lose customers and gamers.
Blog text (32) -
Do you want to bet that unconsciously or consciously those board members feel a certain obligation not to argue with the request or raise a stink?
Blog text (11) -
The residents decided to raise a stink after the town proposed cutting down the park's trees.
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When the delivery was late and incomplete, the customers began to raise a stink to get their issues addressed.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To say you are unhappy about something and want it changed
283
3.2
To show strong disagreement in public, often by joining a march or strike
51
6.1
To shout loudly to demand something, often with other people
42
7.1
To complain angrily about something
40
3.6
To show in public that you strongly disagree with something
22
3.0
Complain loudly about something small
15
7.9
Behave loudly and angrily to cause trouble
11
5.6
Complain loudly in public that a decision is unfair
9
7.0
To say your opinion or complain loudly and openly
8
9.6
To complain a lot in an annoying way
4
4.6
Show strong anger or upset feelings by talking loudly
4
6.8
Complain loudly in public to get attention
4
9.9
To complain a lot about small things and annoy others
2
6.4
Complain loudly about something small
1
9.0
To speak or write very angrily against something to show strong criticism
1
8.5
To speak strongly to show you disagree
1
9.9
Angrily criticize someone or something
To express a complaint or concern, often publicly
Antonyms
How Forceful
- Literature
1
7.7
283
3.2
2
7.4
∞
1.0
- Formal
7
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'raise' clearly gives a causative meaning (to cause or bring up), which offers some compositional clue, but 'stink' here is used metaphorically as a noun meaning a fuss or public complaint—this mapping from literal smell to complaint is not fully predictable. While the 'raise a X' pattern (e.g., 'raise a fuss') provides partial support, a B1 learner who only knows the literal senses is unlikely to infer the precise idiomatic meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom raise a stink may come from the image of raise meaning 'to lift' and stink meaning 'a strong bad smell', as if someone lifts a smell into the open so people notice and complain. So raise a stink now means 'to complain loudly' or 'make a public fuss'.