add insult to injury
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Alternative forms
[edit] Etymology
This was derived from the fables of Phaedrus in the first century AD. The story was of a bald man who swats at a fly which has just bitten him on the head, but instead hits himself on the head. The fly comments, "You wished to kill me for a touch. What will you do to yourself since you have added insult to injury". The actual wording appears in English from the middle of the 18th century. This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.
[edit] Verb
- (idiomatic) To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavourable situation
- As if the hostile takeover weren't enough, to add insult to injury they scrapped ninety percent of our products and replaced them with their own.
[edit] Usage notes
- This expression permits little variation, except for heap insult on injury.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to further a loss with mockery or indignity
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