add insult to injury
add insult to injury
Meaning
- to make a bad situation worse
- to further hurt the feelings of someone who has already been hurt
- to worsen an unfavorable or uncomfortable situation
- to add to a loss with mockery or indignity
Example Sentences
- The company rejected his application for a job, and to add insult to injury, refused to pay his expenses.
- I was already getting late for work stuck in the traffic, and to add insult to injury, I was stopped by the police for speeding.
- First, the bathroom flooded, and then, to add insult to injury, a tap started leaking.
- First, they lost the match, and then, to add insult to injury, one of players was suspended for cheating.
- Not only did the club stop the team from playing, they also took away their equipment – that’s adding insult to injury.
- They were already stranded in the middle of nowhere without any conveyance, then, to add insult to injury, it started to rain.
- His brothers not only sold off all his property, but, to add insult to injury, they refused to pay him anything from the proceeds.
Origin
The phrase is an ancient one, but was recorded in English in the mid 1700s. The most often cited use is in the Roman writer Phaedrus’ fable of a bald man and a fly.
Idiom of the Day
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9 Thoughts
I think it came from “adding salt to injury” and then it became “add insult to injury”
- Anonymous January 28, 2021
The injury was you leaving and the the insult was you never showing back up then insulting me literally and basically telling me your done and dont care. Now I’m alone and I’m still confused and very hurt. You made sure your departure cause a reaction and now I’m completely alone and scared of it all and I’m just wanting to give up like everyone does on me.
- Anonymous June 25, 2020
It’s nice and I like the sentences a lot, but the origin wasn’t very good. I need to know where it came from for my school project I’m doing.
- PoolBlueGirl March 18, 2019
Hey! This sentences are amazing. I can’t describe how much this helped me.
Thank you!!❤️❤️❤️
- Unknown January 20, 2019
Do more well next time and bring New idioms too.
- Anonymous July 3, 2018
What kind of better sentences were you expecting?
If you explain what you find unsatisfactory about these sentences, I will do my best to provide you with what you want.
Thanks for commenting,
The Idioms Team.
- Fiona Mackenzie January 13, 2018
I expected better sentences. 🙁
- Adib January 13, 2018
To make a bad situation worse
- Mark Marquez December 4, 2017
Cool it helped me alot.
- Laia November 30, 2017