English · Idiom Candidate

make a scene

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To cause a public disturbance or commotion

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Gây ra một sự cố hoặc ồn ào nơi công cộng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: create a theatrical performance

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Examples

She made a scene at the restaurant when they got her order wrong

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent ăn vạ (verb) to make a scene, such as by lying on the floor, in order to indulge one's whim, claim damage, etc.; to throw a tantrum Tiếng Việt Near equivalent đánh ghen (verb) to make a scene out of jealousy Tiếng Việt Near equivalent la lối (verb) to yell, scream; to make a scene, make a fuss Tiếng Việt Near equivalent throw a tantrum Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review. English · via ăn vạ

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

Common questions

What does “make a scene” mean?

To cause a public disturbance or commotion Literally: create a theatrical performance

Is “make a scene” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

What is the closest equivalent?

“ăn vạ” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.