add insult to injury
To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an already unfavorable situation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My car broke down, and then it started raining to add insult to injury.”
“After losing the game, the referee gave me a penalty, which really added insult to injury.”
“The company fired him without notice, and to add insult to injury, they refused to pay his final month of salary.”
disputed origin
From the Roman fabulist Phaedrus' fable of the bald man and the fly (1st century AD): the man slaps at a fly, misses, and hits his own head — the fly adds insult to injury.
- 01
add fuel to the fire
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
- 02
add oil
Synonym of let's go: a cheer of encouragement, support, etc.
- 03
add up
To make sense; to be reasonable or consistent.
- 04
added value
The positive value difference produced by someone who adds value.
- 05
insult one's intelligence
To treat someone as if they are not intelligent or enough to understand something obvious.
Last updated August 10, 2026