Rub Salt in the Wound.
English
idiom
To make someone's bad situation worse or remind them of their pain.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To make someone's bad situation worse or remind them of their pain.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To make a bad situation hurt even more.
When you rub salt in the wound, you point at the pain instead of letting it heal.
It is often careless, but it can be cruel on purpose.
"Twist the Knife"
—
Very similar — making something worse; twisting the knife implies more deliberate cruelty
"Add Insult to Injury"
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Also means making things worse — nearly identical; rubbing salt in the wound feels more physical and vivid
"Rub Salt in the Wound"
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Making an already painful situation even worse, often through a careless or cruel action
Did you hear they're moving the team to a smaller office right after the pay freeze?
That's rubbing salt in the wound. The timing couldn't be worse.
She criticized my presentation right after I told her I was already upset about it.
That's rubbing salt in the wound. She should have read the room.
What made the loss so hard to take?
The ref gave a penalty in extra time. Rubbed salt in the wound after we'd played so well.
