Phrase guide

take the wind out of someone's sails

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 discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Referring to the idea of a ship that intercepts the wind of another, causing it to slow or stop.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: iemand de wind uit de zeilen nemen — to discourage someone
  • Finnish: lannistaa — to discourage someone
  • German: jemandem den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen — to discourage someone
  • Italian: remare contro — to discourage someone
  • Italian: scoraggiare — to discourage someone
  • Italian: disilludere — to discourage someone
  • Italian: mettere in ginocchio — to discourage someone
  • Polish: przygaszać — to discourage someone
  • Polish: przygasić — to discourage someone