針小棒大

• Reading: しんしょうぼうだい
• Romaji: shinshōbōdai
• Kanji breakdown: 針 (shin/hari) — needle; 小 (shō/ko) — small; 棒 (bō) — stick, rod; 大 (dai/ō) — large
• Pronunciation: /ɕiɴɕoːboːdaɪ/

Meaning

Making a mountain out of a molehill; gross exaggeration. Describes overstating the size or severity of something trivial.

A four-character idiomatic expression (四字熟語) that literally means 'a needle described as a stick.' Used to criticise someone who wildly exaggerates minor issues. Often followed by に言う or に表現する to describe how something is expressed.

Examples

1. 彼女はいつも些細なことを針小棒大に語る。 She always blows trivial matters wildly out of proportion.
2. メディアの報道は針小棒大な傾向がある。 Media reporting has a tendency to exaggerate things grossly.
3. 針小棒大に騒ぎ立てても問題は解決しない。 Making a mountain out of a molehill won't solve the problem.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, media, interpersonal, literary

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Four-character compound (四字熟語): 針 (needle) + 小 (small) + 棒 (stick/rod) + 大 (large). Literally describes making something as small as a needle sound as large as a stick.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated