Meanings
verbstrain at a gnat (third-person singular simple present strains at a gnat, present participle straining at a gnat, simple past and past participle strained at a gnat)
present singular third person strains at a gnat · participle present straining at a gnat · participle past strained at a gnat · past strained at a gnat · alternative strain out a gnat
- figurativelyidiomaticto make a mountain out of a molehill
Origin
From the King James Version of the Bible, verse Matthew 23:24.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
strain at a gnat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strain%20at%20a%20gnat
MLA
“strain at a gnat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strain%20at%20a%20gnat. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “strain at a gnat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/strain%20at%20a%20gnat.
Source: strain at a gnat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.