Phrase guide

rub salt in the wound

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: add insult to injury, kick someone when they are down, twist the knife, rub it in, add fuel to the fire, cap it all off, fan the flames, make matters worse, throw gasoline on the fire, With malice, hit someone when they are down, kick a dog when it's down, punch down, put the boot in, rub salt in the wound, strike someone when they are down

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Derived from the stinging sensation of salt deliberately being rubbed into an open, bleeding wound.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: কাটা ঘায়ে নুনের ছিটে (kaṭa ghaẏe nuner chiṭe) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雪上加霜 (xuě shàng jiā shuāng) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Crimean Tatar: carağa tuz basmaq — to make an injury feel worse
  • Finnish: vääntää veistä haavassa — to make an injury feel worse
  • French: remuer le couteau dans la plaie — to make an injury feel worse
  • German: Salz in die Wunde streuen — to make an injury feel worse
  • German: den Finger in die Wunde legen — to make an injury feel worse
  • Greek: ρίχνω αλάτι στην πληγή (ríchno aláti stin pligí) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Greek: ξύνω πληγές (xýno pligés) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Hebrew: זָרָה מֶלַח עַל הַפְּצָעִים (zará mélakh al hap'tsa'ím) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Hindi: जले पर नमक छिड़कना (jale par namak chiṛaknā) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Hungarian: sót dörzsöl a sebbe — to make an injury feel worse
  • Italian: mettere il dito nella piaga — to make an injury feel worse
  • Japanese: 傷口に塩を塗る (kizuguchi ni shio o nuru) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Korean: 불난 집에 부채질한다 (bullan jib-e buchaejilhanda) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Marathi: जखमेवर मिठ चोळणे (jakhmevar miṭh coḷṇe) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Norwegian: strø salt i såret — to make an injury feel worse
  • Polish: posypywać rany solą — to make an injury feel worse
  • Polish: posypać rany solą — to make an injury feel worse
  • Portuguese: esfregar sal na ferida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Portuguese: pôr o dedo na ferida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Romanian: a pune sare pe rană — to make an injury feel worse
  • Russian: сы́пать соль на ра́ну (sýpatʹ solʹ na ránu) — to make an injury feel worse
  • Spanish: frotar sal en la herida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Spanish: hurgar en la herida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Spanish: meter el dedo en la herida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Spanish: hechar sal en la herida — to make an injury feel worse
  • Swedish: strö salt i såren — to make an injury feel worse
  • Turkish: yaraya tuz basmak — to make an injury feel worse