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REFERENCE

rub salt in someone's wounds

idiom
Meaning

To make a painful situation even worse (even with the best of intentions).


Origin

disputed origin

From the practice of using salt to inhibit infection of open wounds.

Examples
SIMPLE

Don't rub salt in his wounds by mentioning the game he lost.

CONTEXTUAL

She already felt bad about failing the test, so his comments only rubbed salt in her wounds.

COMPLEX

By highlighting the exact moment the company began its decline, the critic effectively rubbed salt in the wounds of the struggling management team.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    another nail in someone's coffin

    An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.

  2. 02

    answer someone's prayers

    To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  3. 03

    answer to someone's prayers

    Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  4. 04

    apple of someone's eye

    The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

  5. 05

    Attic salt

    Pointed and delicate wit.

  6. 06

    bane of someone's existence

    Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.

  7. 07

    bash someone's face in

    To beat someone violently.

  8. 08

    bash someone's head

    To beat up someone violently.

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