Add insult to injury

Idioms are generally defined as groups of words that form a meaningful whole when they come together, even though the words in them do not make sense on their own. They have produced many idioms according to their own cultural characteristics in communities using the English language. What does Add insult to injury mean? In what situations is Add insult to injury used?

Meaning of "Add insult to injury"

Meaning

The phrase "add insult to injury" is an English idiom used to describe when someone makes a situation even worse than it already is. It suggests that a second wrong has been committed, in addition to the initial wrong, and that the victim of the wrong has faced more suffering because of it.

Etymology

The origins of the phrase "add insult to injury" can be traced back to the 14th century Latin phrase "injuria cum injuria addita." This phrase is believed to have been coined by the Roman poet Juvenal and means "with an injustice added to an existing injustice." It was eventually translated into the English phrase "adding insult to injury."

Usage

The phrase "add insult to injury" is generally used to express the idea that someone has compounded a bad situation by making it worse. It can be used in a variety of situations and contexts, including conversations about a current problem or situation, to describe a difficult situation someone might be facing, or to describe a situation in which one person has wronged another in some way.

Example Sentences

• After our team lost the championship game, the coach added insult to injury by blaming the players for their mistakes.
• Jane was already having a difficult time with her job and then her boss added insult to injury by asking her to do an extra project.
• Jim felt like he'd been wronged by his colleague and then it was added insult to injury when the colleague started spreading rumors about Jim.

Idioms have a common language

"The early bird catches the worm" is an English idiom that means that those who wake up early and start their day early are more likely to succeed. A similar idiom in Spanish is "El que madruga, Dios le ayuda," which translates to "God helps those who rise early." This idiom emphasizes the importance of starting the day early in order to achieve success.