From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
make a mountain out of a molehill third-person singular simple present makes a mountain out of a molehill present participle making a mountain out of a molehill simple past and past participle made a mountain out of a molehill
( transitive , idiomatic ) treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion ; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial .
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,[1] 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,[2] 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 ,[3] 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; 1868 Wilkie Collins , chapter 12, in The Moonstone [4] 207 :“I have now only one remark to offer, on leaving this case in your hands. There is such a thing, Sergeant, as making a mountain out of a molehill . Good morning.”
1913 D. H. Lawrence , Sons and Lovers [5] Part 2, Chapter 7, p. 181 :She wondered why he, who did not usually trouble over trifles, made such a mountain of this molehill .
to treat a problem as greater than it is
Albanian: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: լվից ուղտ շինել ( lvicʻ uġt šinel , literally “ to make a camel out of a louse ” )
Azerbaijani: milçəkdən fil düzəltmək ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a fly ” )
Belarusian: рабіць з мухі слана ( rabicʹ z muxi slana )
Catalan: fer-ne una muntanya (d'un gra de sorra )( literally “ to make a mountain out of a grain of sand ” ) , ofegar-se en un got d'aigua ( literally “ to drown in a glass of water ” )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 小題大作 / 小题大作 (zh) ( xiǎotídàzuò )
Czech: dělat z komára velblouda (cs) ( literally “ to make a camel out of a mosquito ” )
Danish: gøre en myg til en elefant ( literally “ to turn a mosquito into an elephant ” )
Dutch: van een mug een olifant maken (nl) ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a mosquito ” ) , ( Flanders ) van een muis een olifant maken
Esperanto: fari el muŝo elefanton
Estonian: teha sääsest elevant
Faroese: gera nógv burtur úr ongum
Finnish: tehdä kärpäsestä härkänen (fi)
French: faire tout un fromage de (fr) ( literally “ to make an entire cheese out of ” ) , se noyer dans un verre d’eau (fr) ( literally “ to drown in a glass of water ” ) , faire une montagne d’une souris ( literally “ to make an mountain out of a mouse ” ) , faire une montagne d’une taupinière ( literally “ to make a mountain out of a molehill ” )
German: aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen (de) ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a mosquito ” ) , aus einem Furz einen Donnerschlag machen (de) ( literally “ to make a thunder out of a fart ” ) ( vulgar )
Greek: κάνω την τρίχα τριχιά (el) ( káno tin trícha trichiá ) , πνίγομαι σε μια κουταλιά νερό ( pnígomai se mia koutaliá neró )
Hebrew: רָאָה צֵל הָרִים כְּהָרִים (he) ( raá tsel harím keharím ) , עָשָׂה מִזְּבוּב פִּיל ( 'asá mizvúv pil ) , עָשָׂה מֵעַכְבָּר הַר ( 'asá me'akhbár har )
Hindi: राई का पहाड़ बनाना ( rāī kā pahāṛ banānā , literally “ to make a mountain out of a mustard seed ” )
Hungarian: bolhából elefántot csinál
Icelandic: gera úlfalda úr mýflugu (is) ( literally “ to make a camel out of a midge/gnat ” )
Indonesian: membuat gunung dari sarang tikus mondok
Italian: fare di una mosca un elefante ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a mosquito ” )
Kazakh: түймедейді түйедей ету ( tüimedeidı tüiedei etu )
Korean: 침소봉대(針小棒大) ( chimsobongdae , literally “ pin-thin (goes) stick-thick ” ) , 견문발검(見蚊拔劒) (ko) ( gyeonmunbalgeom , literally “ to see a mosquito and draw a sword ” ) , 노승발검(怒蠅拔劒) ( noseungbalgeom )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: mêş kirin gamêş
Latin: nodum in scirpo quero
Macedonian: од мува прави слон ( od muva pravi slon , literally “ to make an elephant ou of a fly ” )
Norwegian: gjøre en fjær til fem høns Bokmål: gjøre en mygg til en elefant
Nynorsk: gjere ein mygg til ein elefant
Polish: robić z igły widły (pl) , robić z muchy słonia (pl) impf
Portuguese: fazer tempestade em copo d'água ( Brazil ) , fazer uma tempestade num copo de água ( Portugal )
Punjabi: ਰਾਈ ਦਾ ਪਹਾੜ ਬਣਾਉਣਾ ( rāī dā pahāṛ baṇāuṇā , literally “ to make a mountain out of a mustard seed ” )
Romanian: face din țânțar armăsar ( literally “ to make a stallion out of a mosquito ” )
Russian: де́лать из му́хи слона́ (ru) ( délatʹ iz múxi sloná , literally “ to make an elephant out of a fly ” )
Slovak: urobiť z komára somára ( literally “ to make a donkey out of a mosquito ” )
Slovene: narediti iz muhe slona ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a fly ” )
Spanish: hacer una montaña de un grano de arena ( literally “ to make a mountain out of a grain of sand ” ) , hacer de una pulga un elefante ( literally “ to make an elephant out of a flea ” ) , ahogarse en un vaso de agua (es) ( literally “ to drown in a glass of water ” )
Swedish: göra en höna av en fjäder (sv) ( literally “ to make a hen out of a feather ” )
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: pireyi deve yapmak (tr) ( literally “ make the flea a camel ” )
Ukrainian: робити з мухи слона (uk) ( robyty z muxy slona , literally “ to make an elephant out of a fly ” )
Vietnamese: chuyện bé xé ra to
Welsh: gwneud môr a mynydd ( literally “ to make a sea and a mountain ” )
