proverb · Words worth keeping
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns against turning a molehill into a mountain. It criticises making a concern seem larger than the evidence supports.
Example
A discussion checks the evidence and possible effects before judging whether a concern is exaggerated.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The change of scale makes exaggeration vivid. A responsible reading checks the concern rather than dismissing it merely because another person finds it small. Something apparently minor may have important consequences, and feelings do not determine the issue’s actual scale.
When to use it
Use it to examine proportion without minimising a legitimate problem.
Keep in mind
Calling a concern small does not prove it unimportant or make distress invalid.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown