IdiomNature
English
Englishadd fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
Example: “Posting that angry reply only added fuel to the fire.”
Origin: An image as old as Latin: the Roman historian Livy wrote of feeding a flame, and John Milton used the English form in Samson Agonistes (1671). A fire burns hotter with more fuel, as a quarrel does with one more remark.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Jeter de l'huile sur le feu Literally: To throw oil on the fire
Spanish: Echar leña al fuego Literally: To throw wood on the fire
Chinese: 雪上加霜 (Xuě shàng jiā shuāng) Literally: To add frost on top of snow
More English idioms
- have pins and needles To feel a prickling, tingling sensation in a limb that has gone numb.
- be on pins and needles To be very anxious while waiting for something.
- make a killing To make a lot of money quickly.
- worm something out of someone To get information from someone gradually and persistently.
- lie low To stay out of sight and avoid attention.
- eat one's words To admit that something one said was wrong.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Bête comme ses pieds Really not very bright.
- Avoir un poil dans la main To be incurably lazy.
- Tête de linotte A scatterbrain who can't hold a thought.
Keep exploring