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to act like a snowflake

to act like a snowflake

9.9
To react to criticism by becoming easily offended or upset
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : [OFENSIVO, INFORMAL] hacerse el ofendido
  • Whenever someone questions his ideas, he acts like a snowflake and gets offended.

Examples

  • Don't act like a snowflake when someone disagrees with you!

  • He tends to act like a snowflake whenever someone points out his mistakes.

  • At the meeting, she acted like a snowflake when given constructive feedback.

  • He always acts like a snowflake during discussions.

  • During the debate, he acted like a snowflake and became overly defensive when his views were challenged.

  • She tends to act like a snowflake in discussions, often taking criticism personally rather than seeing it as helpful.

  • When critics addressed her work, she acted like a snowflake, reacting with anger instead of considering their feedback.

Synonyms

to overreact
vsto act like a snowflake
229 3.8

Show more feeling or anger than a situation needs

tend to respond with excessive sensitivity or defensiveness instead
to become prickly
vsto act like a snowflake
7.6

To react angrily or feel hurt when criticized

show excessive sensitivity and defensiveness in response to criticism

Antonyms

110 1.0

In a calm, steady way without showing anger or nervousness

Surface Forms

acted like a snowflake past participle
acting like a snowflake present participle
acts like a snowflake third person singular

Morphology

act + like + a + snowflake

The pattern 'act like X' is a straightforward simile construction, so if a learner knows 'snowflake' as a dismissive label for someone easily offended, they can compose the meaning as 'behave like someone who is easily offended'. Although 'snowflake' is slang with cultural connotations, the overall meaning follows directly from the constituents and is therefore predictable for a learner who knows those words.

Etymology

The phrase act like a snowflake comes from the image of a snowflake as very fragile and quick to melt, so someone who acts like a snowflake seems easily hurt or upset by small criticism. That's why it means 'to respond with excessive sensitivity or defensiveness'.