Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

federal case

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.99 in modern English

Syllables: fed-er-al -case
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An exaggerated ordeal; excessive fuss or indignation about some situation.

Informal

noun

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see federal, case.

Example Sentences

"So I didn't put the toilet seat down — you don't have to make a federal case out of it."
"You think I'm some kind of codependent ditz overwhelmed by reality outside of Catholic school, and I'm not supposed to make a federal case out of it?"

Etymology

In the United States of America, courts with federal jurisdiction generally are for much more serious offenses than those whose cases are heard by local courts.

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

federal cases (plural)

Phrases

make a mountain out of a molehill

Frequently Paired Words

make a mountain out of a molehill

Synonyms

big deal big thing production meal song and dance

Questions

What does federal case mean?: An exaggerated ordeal; excessive fuss or indignation about some situation.
Where does federal case come from?: In the United States of America, courts with federal jurisdiction generally are for much more serious offenses than those whose cases are heard by local courts.

How to pronounce federal case

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