rubbing salt in the wound

Verb

rub salt in the wound (third-person singular simple present rubs salt in the wound, present participle rubbing salt in the wound, simple past and past participle rubbed salt in the wound)

1. (idiomatic) To aggravate or exacerbate a physical or emotional injury.
   • To rub further salt into the wound, the narrow-gauge locomotives and rolling stock received the new corporate blue livery and double arrows logo.2023 January 11, Richard Foster, “British Rail's weirdest railways...: Vale of Rheidol”, in RAIL, number 974, page 47

   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