informal, informal

to make an emotion or experience seem more important or serious than it really is.

He'd injured his hand slightly but he was laying it on a bit thick about how painful it was.

They must have told us ten times how wonderful their daughter was - they were really laying it on with a trowel.

• cut-and-dried
• cut and run
• cut and thrust of
• cut and thrust of something
• cut an ... figure
• cut an figure
• cut an interesting figure
• cut an [interesting/ridiculous/unusual etc.] figure
• cut an ridiculous figure
• cut an unusual figure
• cut a rug
• cut a swath
• cut a swathe through
• cut a swathe through something
• cut a swath through
• cut a swath through something
• cut a wide swath
• cut both ways
• cut coat according to cloth
• cut coat according to your cloth
• cut corners
• cut dead
• cut down to size
• cut from the same cloth
• cut in