English Reference
Idiom idiom

make a scene


To bring unnecessary attention to oneself, especially through a public expression of tumultuous emotion.

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


SIMPLE

Please do not make a scene in the restaurant.

CONTEXTUAL

She was so angry about the service that she started to make a scene in front of all the other customers.

COMPLEX

Despite her husband's desperate pleas for composure, she refused to leave quietly and chose instead to make a scene that left the entire gala in stunned silence.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    absence makes the heart grow fonder

    One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.

  2. 02

    cannot make it

    Cannot reach satisfactory or expected standards or do something competently; describes someone in a hopeless situation.

  3. 03

    doctors make the worst patients

    It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.

  4. 04

    enough to make a cat laugh

    Very outlandish or outrageous.

  5. 05

    enough to make the angels weep

    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

  6. 06

    fine feathers make fine birds

    Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.

  7. 07

    have it made

    To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty.

  8. 08

    it takes all kinds to make a world

    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike; an expression of surprise at a person or people's eccentricity.

Last updated August 10, 2026