ENGLISH
REFERENCE

make a spectacle of oneself

idiom
Meaning

To conspicuously embarrass oneself or others in public.


Examples
SIMPLE

Please stop shouting or you will make a spectacle of yourself.

CONTEXTUAL

He had too much to drink at the party and started making a spectacle of himself in front of his boss.

COMPLEX

By engaging in such a loud and public argument, she inadvertently made a spectacle of herself, drawing the unwanted attention of everyone in the restaurant.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    adorn oneself with borrowed plumes

    To claim the honor of another for oneself.

  2. 02

    apply oneself

    Synonym of strive: to work hard, to complete an activity with good effort and focus.

  3. 03

    be oneself

    To behave or act naturally, without regard to how this behavior is perceived by others.

  4. 04

    bear oneself

    To behave and conduct oneself in a particular manner.

  5. 05

    box oneself into a corner

    To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.

  6. 06

    buy a dog and bark oneself

    To do something that one has hired someone else to do.

  7. 07

    cannot make it

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

  8. 08

    carry oneself

    To move, especially emphasizing the manner in which one moves.

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