Meaning & use
blew out of proportion
Last updated
“blew out of proportion” is a form of “blow out of proportion”.
Meaning
phraseidiom
Made something seem more important, serious, or extreme than it really is.
Grammar: This is the past tense of 'blow out of proportion'; it is used as a verb phrase and takes an object, often with 'got' or 'was' before it.
Patterns
- blow something out of proportion
- get blown out of proportion
- blew it out of proportion
The media blew the small protest out of proportion, making it look like a riot.
She blew his comment out of proportion and thought he was angry with her.
Don't blow this mistake out of proportion; it's not a big deal.
Word forms
| base form | blow out of proportion |
|---|---|
| third person singular | blows out of proportion |
| past tense | blew out of proportion |
| past participle | blown out of proportion |
| -ing form | blowing out of proportion |
Common combinations
- blow something out of proportion
- Try not to blow the problem out of proportion.
- get blown out of proportion
- The argument got blown out of proportion on social media.
- blow things out of proportion
- He tends to blow things out of proportion when he's stressed.
- completely out of proportion
- The reaction was completely out of proportion to the event.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exaggerate
- To make something seem larger or better than it is; 'blow out of proportion' often implies making a situation seem more serious or dramatic.
- overstate
- To say something is greater or more important than it is; 'blow out of proportion' is more informal and often used about reactions or emotions.
- magnify
- To make something appear more important or serious; 'blow out of proportion' is a fixed phrase with a similar meaning but more idiomatic.
Opposites
Word family
- proportion noun
- The correct or balanced relationship in size, amount, or importance between things.
- proportional adjective
- Corresponding in size or amount to something else.
Commonly confused: blew out of proportion or out of proportion?
blew out of proportion vs out of proportion
'Out of proportion' is an adjective phrase meaning not balanced or appropriate; 'blow out of proportion' is the action of making something seem more important than it is.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'blew out of proportion' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is 'blow something out of proportion', so the object ('the rumor') goes between 'blew' and 'out of proportion'. The other options place the object in the wrong position or use the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blew out of proportion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.