rub salt in the wound
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Derived from the stinging sensation of salt deliberately being rubbed into an open, bleeding wound.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Verb
rub salt in the wound (third-person singular simple present rubs salt in the wound, present participle rubbing salt in the wound, simple past and past participle rubbed salt in the wound)
- (idiomatic) To make an injury, physical or emotional, feel worse.
- Synonyms: add insult to injury, kick someone when they are down, twist the knife, rub it in; see also Thesaurus:make matters worse
Usage notes
- For rub, one can substitute verbs such as add, pour, put, possibly requiring a change in the preposition in.
- See salt in the wound for variations in that portion of the expression.
Translations
to make an injury feel worse
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