rub salt in someone's wounds

• rub salt in the wound

From the practice of using salt to inhibit infection of open wounds.

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rub salt in someone's wounds (third-person singular simple present rubs salt in someone's wounds, present participle rubbing salt in someone's wounds, simple past and past participle rubbed salt in someone's wounds)

1. (idiomatic) To make a painful situation even worse (even with the best of intentions).

   John already feels guilty for what he did to you. Don't rub salt into his wounds.