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1. What is Add insult to injury?
Add insult to injury refers to actions that exacerbate the damage or difficulty of others. This is an expression to describe causing additional harm after the initial harm.
For example, if someone loses their job and then is bad-mouthed or bullied, that act of bullying could be described as adding insult to injury.
Eg:
- After John lost his job, his boss not only refused to give him a recommendation but also spread false rumors about him, adding insult to injury. Sau khi John mất công việc, sếp của anh không chỉ từ chối đề nghị mà còn lan truyền tin đồn sai về anh, làm cho tình hình trở nên tồi tệ hơn, thêm lăng mạ vào vết thương.
- Being charged an exorbitant fee for a simple repair on her car added insult to injury for Sarah, who had already been dealing with financial difficulties. Bị tính một khoản phí cắt cổ cho việc sửa chữa đơn giản trên chiếc xe của mình đã làm tăng thêm tổn thất tài chính cho Sarah, người đã phải đối mặt với khó khăn về tài chính.
- When Mary failed to get the promotion she had been working hard for, her co-worker’s mocking comments added insult to injury. Khi Mary không đạt được việc thăng cấp mà cô đã làm việc chăm chỉ để đạt được, những bình luận chế nhạo từ đồng nghiệp của cô đã làm thêm tổn thương vào tình huống khó khăn của cô.
- The airline not only canceled Tom’s flight but also lost his luggage, which really added insult to injury to an already frustrating travel experience. Hãng hàng không không chỉ hủy chuyến bay của Tom mà còn mất hành lý của anh, điều này thực sự làm tăng tổn thương cho trải nghiệm du lịch khó chịu đã từng có.
- Jane was already upset about failing her final exam, and her teacher’s harsh criticism in front of the entire class just added insult to injury. Jane đã buồn chán vì thi trượt bài kiểm tra cuối kỳ của mình và những lời chỉ trích khắc nghiệt từ giáo viên trước toàn bộ lớp học chỉ làm thêm tổn thương vào tình huống đã đầy căng thẳng.
2. The origin of the idiom Add insult to injury
The origin of this phrase is believed to date back to the Roman era, and one of Aesop's fables titled 'The Bald Man and the Fly' is associated with it.
In this fable, a bald man tries to swat an annoying fly that has bitten him, but in the process, he strikes his own head. The fly then sarcastically remarks, “What action will you take against yourself now that you’ve compounded your misfortune?”
3. Usage of the Idiom Add insult to injury
3.1. Adding insult to injury even in dire situations
When others add insult to your difficult situation.
Eg: After losing his job, a colleague poured oil on the fire by mocking him in front of everyone.
3.2. When a bad situation gets even worse
When a bad situation becomes worse due to a mistake or bad attitude.
Eg: Getting a parking ticket along with a flat tire was truly rubbing salt into the wound.
3.3. Successive failures
When an initial failure leads to further undesirable consequences or a worse situation.
Eg: Failing the exam was already bad, but having to retake it during summer vacation was like pouring salt into the wound.
3.4. Words that make a bad situation worse
When someone adds insult or criticism to a difficult situation.
Eg: After losing the tennis match, her opponent didn’t stop at winning; she rubbed salt into the wound by taunting her afterwards.
3.5. Actions that exacerbate difficulties
When a decision or action creates additional difficulties or losses for the current situation.
Eg: The company’s decision to reduce employee benefits compounded the dissatisfaction among the workforce. Quyết định của công ty cắt giảm các quyền lợi của nhân viên đã làm gia tăng sự bất mãn trong số nhân viên.
4. A Conversation with Add insult to injury
- Tom: Hey, did you hear about what happened to Lisa at work yesterday? Này, bạn đã nghe về việc gì xảy ra với Lisa tại nơi làm việc vào ngày hôm qua chưa?
- Sarah: No, what happened? Không, có chuyện gì xảy ra vậy?
- Tom: Well, she had been working late for weeks on that project, putting in extra hours to make sure it was perfect. And when it came time for the presentation, her boss not only criticized her in front of the entire team but also accused her of not doing enough. Vâng, cô ấy đã làm thêm giờ suốt vài tuần qua để hoàn thành dự án đó, dành nhiều thời gian làm việc để đảm bảo mọi thứ hoàn hảo. Và khi đến lúc trình bày dự án, sếp của cô ấy không chỉ chỉ trích cô ấy trước toàn bộ nhóm mà còn buộc tội cô ấy không làm đủ.
- Sarah: That’s terrible! She must have been devastated. Thật tồi tệ! Cô ấy chắc chắn đã rất đau lòng.
- Tom: Yeah, it was really tough on her. She felt like all her hard work had gone to waste. But what made it even worse was that, after the meeting, a co-worker who had been jealous of her success added insult to injury by saying, “Maybe if you actually did some real work, this wouldn’t have happened.” Vâng, đó thực sự là một thử thách đối với cô ấy. Cô ấy cảm thấy như công sức của mình đã bị lãng phí. Nhưng điều làm tình hình trở nên tồi tệ hơn là sau cuộc họp, một đồng nghiệp ghen tức vì sự thành công của cô ấy đã thêm lời lăng mạ vào vết thương bằng cách nói: “Có lẽ nếu bạn thực sự làm việc chăm chỉ, điều này sẽ không xảy ra.”
- Sarah: That’s just mean-spirited! Lisa didn’t deserve that at all. Thật tàn nhẫn! Lisa hoàn toàn không đáng chịu đựng điều đó.
- Tom: Exactly, it was completely uncalled for. It just added insult to injury, making an already difficult situation even more painful for her. Chính xác, hoàn toàn không cần thiết. Điều này thêm vào vết thương đã có, làm cho tình hình khó khăn của cô ấy trở nên đau đớn hơn.
5. Words and phrases synonymous with the idiom Add insult to injury
| Từ đồng nghĩa | Ý nghĩa | Ví dụ |
| Pour salt on the wound | Rải muối lên vết thương | After losing the game, his friends poured salt on the wound by teasing him about it all night. |
| Rub salt in the wound | Xoa muối vào vết thương | Instead of comforting her, he rubbed salt in the wound by reminding her of her past failures. |
| Kick someone when they’re down | Đá vào người khi họ yếu đuối | Criticizing her work right after her personal tragedy was like kicking someone when they’re down. |
| Make matters worse | Làm cho tình hình trở nên tồi tệ hơn | His reckless behavior only made matters worse for the company, which was already in financial trouble. |
| Deepen the wound | Làm cho vết thương sâu hơn | His betrayal only deepened the wound of their broken friendship. |
| Compound the misery | Tăng cường nỗi khổ | The unexpected car repair expenses compounded the misery of their already tight budget. |
| Add fuel to the fire | Đổ dầu vào lửa | His comments added fuel to the fire of their argument, making it even more intense. |
6. Words and phrases opposite to the idiom Add insult to injury
| Từ trái nghĩa | Ý nghĩa | Ví dụ |
| Offer consolation | Nói lời an ủi | Instead of adding insult to injury, he offered consolation and support to his friend who had just lost a loved one. |
| Extend sympathy | Thể hiện lòng đồng cảm | She extended sympathy to her coworker who was going through a difficult time, instead of criticizing her further. |
| Be considerate | Quan tâm | Being considerate means not adding insult to injury, especially when someone is already facing challenges. |
| Show empathy | Thể hiện lòng thông cảm | He showed empathy by understanding her perspective and not making her situation worse. |
| Ease the pain | Giảm bớt nỗi đau | Instead of making jokes, they tried to ease the pain of their friend who had just gone through a breakup. |
| Provide comfort | Đem lại sự an ủi | In times of distress, it’s important to provide comfort to those in need rather than compounding their misery. |
| Offer support | Cung cấp sự hỗ trợ | He offered support and encouragement to his colleague who was struggling with a difficult project, rather than criticizing their efforts. |
