- Meaning
- This idiom describes making someone’s pain, distress, or misfortune worse by drawing attention to it or adding further insult, as if rubbing salt into an open wound intensifies the sting. It conveys a deliberate or thoughtless act of exacerbating suffering, often used in personal, social, or emotional contexts to highlight cruelty or insensitivity. The phrase carries a tone of indignation, sympathy, or vivid description, reflecting cultural disapproval of aggravating others’ pain and the human sensitivity to compounded hurt. It resonates in situations of emotional or social conflict, capturing the sting of added injury, and its visceral imagery adds a layer of raw intensity, evoking a physical burn. The idiom often implies a need for empathy or restraint, making it a potent metaphor for the harm of insensitive actions or words.
- Origin
- The phrase has roots in ancient practices, where rubbing salt into wounds was a painful antiseptic method, noted in Roman medical texts like those of Galen (2nd century CE). Its metaphorical use emerged in 17th-century England, reflecting a culture familiar with salt’s preserving and stinging properties, with an early appearance in John Donne’s 1621 sermon: ‘Rubbing salt in their wounds.’ The idiom gained traction in the 18th century, as seen in Samuel Johnson’s essays on human cruelty. Its use grew in 19th-century British and American literature, particularly in sentimental and moral tales, with Charles Dickens’ *Bleak House* (1853) using it for emotional pain. The phrase’s adoption was amplified in the 20th century through media, notably in psychological and dramatic narratives, as seen in Tennessee Williams’ *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1947). Its spread to American and Commonwealth English came through British influence, and its vivid imagery, evoking a searing pain, and its applicability to emotional harm ensured its enduring use across English-speaking cultures, from personal disputes to literary critiques.
- Variants
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- Rub salt in the wound
- Rub salt into the wound
- Pour salt in the wound
- Salt in the wound
- Examples
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- Don’t rub salt in the wound by mentioning her failed exam again.
- Rub salt into the wound, he bragged about his promotion after her demotion.
- Pour salt in the wound, they did, laughing at his rejected proposal.
- Salt in the wound, her comment about his breakup was cruel.
- Rubbing salt in the wound, she flaunted her success to the struggling team.
- Rub salt in the wound? No need, he’s already hurting from the loss.
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