Add insult to injury

This idiom means to make a bad situation even worse by doing or saying something that makes it more unpleasant or hurtful.

Prehistory of the Idiom

The idiom "add insult to injury" dates back to ancient Rome. The Roman writer Phaedrus included a version of this phrase in his fables. It has been used in English since the 18th century to describe situations where an already bad condition is made worse by an additional offense.

Short Advice

Use this idiom to describe situations where someone's actions or words make an already bad situation worse. It’s useful when you want to emphasize unnecessary cruelty or thoughtlessness.

Sentences:

1. "Not only did he reject her proposal, but he laughed at her. Talk about adding insult to injury!" - Making her rejection even more painful.

2. "The team lost the game, and to add insult to injury, it started raining on their way home." - The rain made their loss even worse.

3. "She was already upset about the mistake, and his harsh words added insult to injury." - His comments made her feel even worse.

4. "Losing my wallet was bad enough, but getting a parking ticket the same day added insult to injury." - The ticket made a bad day worse.

5. "After waiting in line for an hour, they told us the concert was canceled. To add insult to injury, they refused to refund our tickets." - The lack of refund made the situation worse.

6. "The company not only laid off employees but also cut their benefits, adding insult to injury." - The benefit cuts worsened the layoffs.

7. "He forgot their anniversary, and to add insult to injury, he went out with friends instead." - His actions made the situation worse.

8. "She failed the exam, and then her friend mocked her for it, adding insult to injury." - The mockery made her failure more painful.

9. "The power outage ruined our dinner, and to add insult to injury, the food spoiled." - The spoiled food made the situation worse.

10. "Getting a flat tire was bad, but having no spare tire added insult to injury." - The lack of a spare tire made the problem worse.

11. "He missed his flight, and to add insult to injury, the airline lost his luggage." - Losing the luggage made the situation worse.

12. "After being scammed online, he discovered his account was hacked, adding insult to injury." - The hack made the scam even worse.

13. "She was demoted at work, and to add insult to injury, her new office was in the basement." - The office location made the demotion worse.

14. "Not only was the package delayed, but it arrived damaged. Talk about adding insult to injury!" - The damage made the delay worse.

15. "His car broke down, and to add insult to injury, the repair costs were astronomical." - The high costs made the breakdown worse.

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Exercise 1: Complete the Sentence

Fill in the blanks with appropriate situations or actions that illustrate the idiom.

1. She was already late for work, and to add insult to injury, ____________________.

2. He failed the test, and then ____________________, adding insult to injury.

3. The restaurant got their order wrong, and to add insult to injury, ____________________.

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Exercise 2: Personal Reflection

Write a short paragraph about a time when something bad happened to you, and then something else made the situation worse. Use the idiom "add insult to injury" to describe the experience.

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Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences to include the idiom "add insult to injury."

1. He was already having a bad day, and then he spilled coffee on his shirt.

2. The weather was terrible during their vacation, and the hotel lost their reservation.

3. She was disappointed with her exam results and then lost her study notes.