Snowballing - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Snowballing refers to a process where something grows rapidly in size, intensity, or importance over time, much like a snowball rolling downhill and gathering more snow. It is often used to describe accumulating effects or escalating situations.
Definition:
Increasing rapidly in size, intensity, or importance.
Synonyms:
escalating, growing, multiplying, accelerating
Part of Speech:
noun, verb
Antonyms:
decreasing, diminishing
Common Collocations:
snowballing effect, snowballing debt, snowballing popularity
Derivatives:
snowballed, snowballs
Usage Tips:
Use "snowballing" to describe rapid growth or accumulation, often uncontrollably.
Common Phrases:
snowball effect, let it snowball, snowball into something
Etymology:
Derived from the literal action of a snowball growing larger as it rolls downhill.
Examples:
- 1. The rumors started small but soon began snowballing across the school.
- 2. Her savings grew quickly due to the snowballing interest from her investments.
- 3. The protest gained momentum, snowballing into a nationwide movement overnight.
- 4. His minor mistake ended up snowballing into a major problem for the team.