blowing up
8
6.7
- noun
- Informal
:
reprimenda
- I'm not married, and I hope to never get to the point of a petty argument blowing up into a sleep-in-the-car fight, but I do understand the concept of little things growing into a huge "Is this the end?" issue because you're married.
Their impulsive rage means that they regularly have unattractive blow ups, and in more cases than not, they know that those blow UPS make them look bad.
- Their impulsive rage means that they regularly have unattractive blow ups, and in more cases than not, they know that those blow UPS make them look bad.
Examples
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And obviously she talks about having had a big blow up with him over it, but ignoring that isn't the right thing.
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Please forgive me for blowing up.
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Well, a lot of folks are saying the reason for that blow up is because of jobs.
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All my scams are backfiring, blowing up in my face.
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Their impulsive rage means that they regularly have unattractive blow ups, and in more cases than not, they know that those blow UPS make them look bad.
-
Although Wendall had come by a tremendous dose of Buddha-like tranquility in his dealings with people (partly by not caring, by staying removed), he was still capable of blowing up and then regretting the trouble it might cause him.
Fiction book (2002) -
My boss gave me a serious blowing up for missing the deadline.
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I received a harsh blowing up after failing to follow the instructions.
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Her blowing up about the late report surprised everyone in the meeting.
Synonyms
22
6.8
A strong comment that shows disapproval of someone's actions
11
6.8
A strong public attack in words on someone or something
7
3.3
A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong
1
6.3
A strong angry talk that tells someone they did something wrong
1
8.5
A harsh telling off given for a serious mistake
1
8.8
A strong scolding you get when someone is angry with you
1
9.9
A loud angry speech that attacks a person or idea
A loud, angry talk that tells someone they made a mistake
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
blowing + up
The sense 'an angry or severe scolding' is a metaphorical extension of the literal idea of 'blow/explode' + 'up' (i.e. to 'blow up' = to erupt in anger), so a learner who knows the constituents and the phrasal-verb pattern may infer the basic meaning. However, the noun form and the metaphorical/idiomatic shift are not fully compositional or guaranteed for a B1 learner without prior exposure, making the relation only partially predictable.
Etymology
Blowing up comes from the picture of someone who fills with anger like a balloon and then suddenly bursts. That sudden burst, when a person blows up, is like a loud angry talk, so blowing up means 'to scold'.