English Reference
Idiom idiom

blow out of proportion


To overreact to or overstate; to treat too seriously or be overly concerned with.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Please do not blow this small mistake out of proportion.

CONTEXTUAL

He was late by only five minutes, but his boss blew the situation out of proportion.

COMPLEX

The media often blows minor political disagreements out of proportion, causing unnecessary public panic and deepening existing social divisions.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    as the wind blows

    According to any given circumstances.

  2. 02

    blow a fuse

    To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

  3. 03

    blow a hole through

    To destroy the integrity or cohesion of.

  4. 04

    blow a kiss

    To kiss one's own hand, then blow on it in a direction towards the recipient.

  5. 05

    blow away

    To kill (someone) by shooting them with a firearm.

  6. 06

    blow chunks

    To vomit chunks of undigested food.

  7. 07

    blow hot air

    To engage in empty or exaggerated talk that lacks substance, credibility, or truth; to bluster.

  8. 08

    blow hot and cold

    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

Last updated August 10, 2026