kick someone when they are down

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kick someone when they are down (third-person singular simple present kicks someone when they are down, present participle kicking someone when they are down, simple past and past participle kicked someone when they were down)

1. (idiomatic) To make things worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.
   • 2000, Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times, page 114:

     They would never kick someone when they are down or give themselves an unfair advantage by cheating or stealing. The implications of this type of behavior are huge.

• kick a dog when it's down
• strike someone when they are down, hit someone when they are down
  • See also Thesaurus:make matters worse

• beat a dead horse