🗓️ Idiom: Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill (v)
💬 Meaning
- To exaggerate a small problem or make it seem bigger than it really is.
- To overreact to a minor issue.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill — it’s just a small delay in the project.
- The client made a mountain out of a molehill when the report was one day late.
- She tends to make a mountain out of a molehill whenever plans change slightly.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom dates back to the 1500s. It comes from the idea of turning something tiny, like a molehill made by a small animal, into something huge like a mountain. It was first used in English by the writer Nicholas Udall in 1548, to describe people who exaggerate small problems.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
It was just a small mistake, but he __________ and made everyone worry.
Answer
made a mountain out of a molehill
2. Choose the correct answer:
If someone “makes a mountain out of a molehill,” they are:
a) Solving a big problem
b) Ignoring an issue
c) Overreacting to something small
Answer
c) Overreacting to something small
3. Change the sentence using “make a mountain out of a molehill”:
“She exaggerated the importance of a tiny error in the report.”
Answer
She made a mountain out of a molehill about the tiny error in the report.
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
