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To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, transitive
Examples
- If you’re stuck in traffic, try not to make a mountain out of a molehill worrying about it too much. You could be making it much worse.
- 1573, John Bridges, The Supremacie of Christian Princes Over All Persons Throughout Theor Dominions, London: Humphrey Toye, Division 18, p. 553, to slaunder the Gospell ye aggrauate many lies, & will make a mountaine of a mole hill
- 1642, James Howell, Instructions for Forreine Travell, London: Humphrey Mosley, Section 14, p. 176-177, Others have a custome to bee always relating strange things and wonders, [...] they make Mountaines of Mole-hils, like Charenton-Bridge-Eccho, which doubles the sound nine times.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin, John Smith, Volume 3, Book 15, Chapter 10, pp. 170-171, For of all the Powers exercised by this Passion over our Minds, one of the most wonderful is that of supporting Hope in the midst of Despair. [...] Yet it is equally true, that the same Passion will sometimes make Mountans of Mole-hills, and produce Despair in the midst of Hope;
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
56 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Azerbaijani:
milçəkdən fil düzəltmək
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Belarusian:
рабіць з мухі слана
(rabicʹ z muxi slana)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Bulgarian:
вдигам шум за нищо
(vdigam šum za ništo)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Bulgarian:
вдигна шум за нищо
(vdigna šum za ništo)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Bulgarian:
правя от мухата слон
(pravja ot muhata slon)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Catalan:
fer-ne una muntanya (d'un gra de sorra)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Catalan:
ofegar-se en un got d'aigua
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Chinese Mandarin:
小題大作 /小题大作
(xiǎotídàzuò)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Czech:
dělat z komára velblouda
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Danish:
gøre en myg til en elefant
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Dutch:
van een mug een olifant maken
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Dutch:
van een muis een olifant maken
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Esperanto:
fari el muŝo elefanton
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Estonian:
teha sääsest elevant
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Faroese:
gera nógv burtur úr ongum
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Finnish:
tehdä kärpäsestä härkänen
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
French:
faire tout un fromage de
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
French:
se noyer dans un verre d'eau
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
French:
faire une montagne d'une souris
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
French:
faire une montagne d'une taupinière
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
German:
aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
German:
aus einem Furz einen Donnerschlag machen
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Greek:
κάνω την τρίχα τριχιά
(káno tin trícha trichiá)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Greek:
πνίγομαι σε μια κουταλιά νερό
(pnígomai se mia koutaliá neró)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Hebrew:
רָאָה צֵל הָרִים כְּהָרִים
(raá tsel harím keharím)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Hebrew:
עָשָׂה מִזְּבוּב פִּיל
('asá mizvúv pil)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Hebrew:
עָשָׂה מֵעַכְבָּר הַר
('asá me'akhbár har)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Hungarian:
bolhából elefántot csinál
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Icelandic:
gera úlfalda úr mýflugu
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Indonesian:
membuat gunung dari sarang tikus mondok
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Italian:
fare di una mosca un elefante
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Japanese:
物事を誇張する
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Kazakh:
түймедейді түйедей ету
(tüimedeidı tüiedei etu)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Korean:
노승발검
(noseungbalgeom)
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Northern Kurdish:
mêş kirin gamêş
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Latin:
nodum in scirpo quero
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Norwegian:
gjøre en fjær til fem høns
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Norwegian Bokmål:
gjøre en mygg til en elefant
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Norwegian Nynorsk:
gjere ein mygg til ein elefant
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Polish:
robić z igły widły
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Polish:
zrobić z igły widły
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Polish:
robić z muchy słonia
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Polish:
zrobić z muchy słonia
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Portuguese:
fazer tempestade em copo d'água
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Portuguese:
fazer uma tempestade num copo de água
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Romanian:
face din țânțar armăsar
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Slovak:
urobiť z komára somára
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Slovene:
narediti iz muhe slona
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Spanish:
hacer una montaña de un grano de arena
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Spanish:
hacer de una pulga un elefante
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Spanish:
ahogarse en un vaso de agua
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Swedish:
göra en höna av en fjäder
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Turkish:
pireyi deve yapmak
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Turkish:
habbeyi kubbe yapmak
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Vietnamese:
chuyện bé xé ra to
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
-
Welsh:
gwneud môr a mynydd
— to treat a problem as greater than it is
