add insult to injury
Pile on cruelty
To add insult to injury is to make a bad situation worse, especially by following harm with humiliation or adding offense to damage already done.
The phrase usually describes a sequence where the second blow feels gratuitous: They laid me off, and to add insult to injury, made me train my replacement.
- rub it inEmphasize someone's mistake cruelly
- pile onAdd excessively to
- throw under the busBetray for self-preservation
- double whammyTwo simultaneous misfortunes
- stab in the backTreachery against an ally
rub someone's nose in it · make matters worse · offend · fan the flames · add fuel to the fire · contempt · disparage · schadenfreude · worsen · exacerbate · humiliate · below the belt · hit below the belt · affront · twist the knife · outrage · mockery · aggravate
- retributionretribution, revenge, payback, vengeance, retaliation
- top it offcap, crown, finish, complete, wrap up
add insult to injurypour oil on troubled waters
Calm a tense situation
soften the blow · make amends · ameliorate · cushion the blow · compensate
add insult to injuryatone
Make reparation for wrongdoing
apologize · eat humble pie · mend fences · build bridges · bury the hatchet
add insult to injurypour oil on troubled waters
Calm a tense situation
console · soothe · sympathize · commiserate
injury, insult, addition, injured, adding, insulting, insulted, insults, additional