How do you say “Blow something out of proportion” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is etwas aufbauschen, which literally means “to puff something up”. English speakers use blow something out of proportion to mean to make something seem much more serious or important than it is. A natural fit for making a story or problem sound bigger than it is. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
etwas aufbauschen
/ˈɛtvas ˈaʊfbaʊʃn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to puff something up”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German uses “aufbauschen” for exaggerating the importance of an event or issue. It works well for reports, rumours and heated reactions.
“Übertreiben” is broader and can mean exaggerating almost anything. “Aufbauschen” is more specific about turning something into a bigger story.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The newspaper blew the small argument out of proportion.
German
Die Zeitung hat den kleinen Streit aufgebauscht.
English
Don't blow one late bus out of proportion.
German
Bausch die Verspätung eines einzigen Busses nicht so auf.
Related expressions
- What “Blow something out of proportion” means in English
- Make a mountain out of a molehill, Exaggerate the importance of a small problem.
Last updated 2026-09-19