to make a mountain out of a molehill
3
6.4
- idiom
- Informal
:
hacer una montaña de un grano de arena
- Whatever it is, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.
- think you're making a mountain out of a molehill
Raised voices can make a mountain out of a molehill and cloud the issue.
- Raised voices can make a mountain out of a molehill and cloud the issue.
- This is this really weird bullshit that the Republican Party has made a mountain out of a molehill.
Examples
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And now you wouldn't wanna make a mountain out of a molehill.
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She tends to make a mountain out of a molehill every time there is a small issue at work.
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You think we might be making a mountain out of a molehill here? -
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-She made a mountain out of a molehill.
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Let them provide the evidence rather than try to make a mountain out of a molehill!
Blog text (29) -
This is seriously making a mountain out of a molehill.
Blog text (11) -
Raised voices can make a mountain out of a molehill and cloud the issue.
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They're making a mountain out of a molehill.
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We needn't make a mountain out of a molehill.
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You're making a mountain out of a molehill.
Synonyms
258
3.1
To say something is larger, better, or worse than it really is
70
4.2
Say something is bigger or more important than it really is
47
4.2
To make something seem more important or bigger than it really is
34
4.6
To make something seem more important or serious than it really is
20
3.4
To make something seem larger or more important than it is
13
4.6
Make something seem more important or serious than it really is
9
4.3
Make something seem more important or impressive than it is
9
5.6
To make something seem bigger or more important than it really is
8
5.5
Treat something as more important than it should be
5
9.5
To make something seem more important by adding details or exaggerating
4
3.7
To make something seem more important or bigger than it is
3
6.6
Describe something as more serious or emotional than it really is
2
5.8
Treat something as more important or serious than it is
1
5.9
To make something seem more important or serious than it is
1
5.1
Make something seem much bigger or more important than it is
1
8.3
Act as if something is much more difficult or important than it is
1
7.9
To make something seem much bigger or more important than it really is
1
5.4
To make something seem much worse or bigger than it is
Describe something as more important or impressive than it really is
Act as if a task is much harder than it is
Antonyms
How Exaggerated
229
3.8
- Informal
3
6.4
4
3.7
- Informal
2
5.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
make + a + mountain + out + of + a + molehill
The phrase literally describes turning a very small thing (a molehill) into something very large (a mountain), so a learner who knows 'make', 'mountain' and 'molehill' can directly infer the sense of exaggerating a minor issue. The metaphoric mapping (small → big) is transparent and has clear cross‑linguistic parallels, so the meaning is predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Make a mountain out of a molehill paints a picture of turning a tiny molehill, the small mound a mole makes, into a huge mountain. So it means 'to exaggerate' or 'to overreact' when someone treats a small problem as something very big.