Idiom
take the wind out of someone's sails
Meaning
To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His harsh criticism really took the wind out of my sails.”
“A flat tire really takes the wind out of your sails on a road trip.”
“She was excited about her promotion until her boss took the wind out of her sails by canceling the project.”
“The athlete felt ready for the race until a minor injury took the wind out of his sails just two days before the big event.”
“The sudden announcement of the budget cuts took the wind out of the team's sails, leaving them feeling defeated just as they neared the finish line.”
Examples
simple
“His harsh criticism really took the wind out of my sails.”
“A flat tire really takes the wind out of your sails on a road trip.”
contextual
“She was excited about her promotion until her boss took the wind out of her sails by canceling the project.”
“The athlete felt ready for the race until a minor injury took the wind out of his sails just two days before the big event.”
complex
“The sudden announcement of the budget cuts took the wind out of the team's sails, leaving them feeling defeated just as they neared the finish line.”
Origin
Derived from the nautical manoeuvre of a vessel positioning itself to windward of another. By intercepting the breeze, the pursuing ship leaves the sails of its opponent slack and useless, resulting in a sudden loss of momentum. The mechanical reality of a stalled ship provided the template for the idiom, which entered general usage as a description of a person deprived of their advantage or confidence.
Key words
Related idioms
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