Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
목에 힘을 주다 Mok-e him-eul juda
To adopt a haughty, self-important posture to assert dominance or intimidate others.
What does 목에 힘을 주다 mean?
목에 힘을 주다 (Mok-e him-eul juda) means: To adopt a haughty, self-important posture to assert dominance or intimidate others.
Natives use this to call out someone who is puffing out their chest, acting like a 'big shot,' or looking down on others to compensate for their own insecurity. It isn't just about being confident; it’s about the performative act of acting superior to those you consider beneath you. Learners often mistake this for simple 'pride,' but in Korea, it carries a distinct social judgment that the person is being unnecessarily stiff and pretentious.
Other sides of 목에 힘을 주다
◆ Tension and Nervousness — While most learners know this as an idiom for arrogance, natives use it literally to describe the 'tightening' that happens when someone is hyper-anxious or physically straining their voice. If you are terrified before a presentation or screaming at a concert, your neck muscles reflexively tense—that is where the idiom finds its roots. It signals a loss of natural, relaxed flow; when someone is 'giving strength to their neck,' they aren't just being cocky, they are visibly struggling to maintain composure or sound output under stress.
🎙️ 목에 힘을 주다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [모게 히믈 주다]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 새로 승진했다고 벌써 목에 힘주고 다니네.
Sae-ro seung-jin-haet-da-go beol-sseo mok-e him-ju-go da-ni-ne.
He got a promotion and he’s already walking around like he owns the place.
💡 Highlights how the phrase is used to criticize someone whose ego has inflated immediately after a minor status change. - 아직 아무것도 모르는 신입이 뭘 안다고 목에 힘을 줘?
A-jik a-mu-geot-do mo-reu-neun sin-i-bi mwol an-da-go mok-e him-eul jwo?
That rookie doesn't know anything yet, so why is he acting so high and mighty?
💡 Shows the phrase being used to put a novice in their place when they overstep their rank. - 다들 힘들게 일하는데 혼자 목에 힘주고 있으면 누가 좋아하겠어?
Da-deul him-deul-ge il-ha-neun-de hon-ja mok-e him-ju-go i-sseu-myeon nu-ga jo-a-ha-get-seo?
Everyone is working hard, so who is going to like you if you act all arrogant by yourself?
💡 Reveals the social consequence of using this posturing to alienate peers.
Related words in Social Situations
모르다 moreuda물불을 가리지 않다 Mul-bul-eul gariji anta물 먹다 Mul meokda눈에 불을 켜다 Nun-e bul-eul kyeoda눈에 익다 Nun-e ikda