# make a meal of

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-a-meal-of
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly complicated; to make a big thing out of.

## Examples

- Don't make a meal of it — just finish the report.
- He made a meal of washing the dishes, taking two hours when it needed twenty minutes.
- The critic made a meal of the novel's minor flaws, devoting pages to symbolism that most readers would barely notice.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.