Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rub salt in the wound

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.72 in modern English

Syllables
rub salt in the -wound
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
2
Syllables
14
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.

Example Sentences

Etymology

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

Inflected Forms

rubs salt in the wound (present, singular) rubbing salt in the wound (participle, present) rubbed salt in the wound (participle, past) rubbed salt in the wound (past) rub salt in someone's wounds (alternative) rub salt into the wound (alternative) rub salt into the wounds (alternative)

Phrases

add salt to injury

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

Questions

What does rub salt in the wound mean?
To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.
Where does rub salt in the wound come from?
Derived from the stinging sensation of salt deliberately being rubbed into an open, bleeding wound.

How to pronounce rub salt in the wound

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “rub salt in the wound”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “rub salt in the wound”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “rub salt in the wound” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.