Add insult to injury

Meaning

The idiom "add insult to injury" means to make a bad situation worse by causing further harm or indignity. It is used to describe a situation where someone has already experienced misfortune, and then something else happens to make the situation even more difficult or unpleasant. The phrase can be used in both a literal and figurative sense.

Usage

• The customer service was terrible and now I have lost my job due to the poor performance review. That truly added insult to injury.
• After being in a car accident, I found out that my insurance had lapsed and now I have to pay for all the repairs myself. What a double blow!
• My flight was delayed by two hours, and then I missed my connecting flight, which meant I had to spend an extra night in the airport. That really added insult to injury.
• After years of being bullied at school, the victim finally spoke out and now they are facing further harassment online. That truly added insult to injury.
• The company went bankrupt, and all employees were laid off without any severance pay. That was a real kick in the teeth, and then my car broke down on the way home from work. What a double whammy!

Roots and History

The earliest known use of the idiom "add insult to injury" dates back to the 16th century. The phrase comes from the Bible, specifically the book of Job, where God allows Satan to afflict Job with misfortune after Job has already suffered great losses. Over time, the meaning and usage of the idiom have evolved. In contemporary language, the idiom is often used in a more general sense to describe any situation where someone experiences further harm or indignity after already suffering misfortune. The phrase can be used to express sympathy or empathy for the person who has experienced such a situation.

Synonyms in English

• Salt in the wound
• Rubbing salt in the wound
• A slap in the face
• A kick in the teeth
• A punch in the gut

Synonyms in other languages

• Encore du malheur - French
• Encore du tristeur - French
• Añorioso - Spanish
• Más dolor que la pena - Spanish
• Gubnjevik - Russian

Similar Idioms

• a piece of cake

• a leopard can’t change his spots

• at a discount