to add insult to injury
傷口に塩を塗る
解説 Definition
すでに悪い状況にさらに追い打ちをかけること。傷口に塩を塗るような仕打ち。
To make a bad situation even worse by saying or doing something unpleasant after harm has already been done. It is often used when a person feels extra hurt, embarrassed, or annoyed. The expression emphasizes unfairness or a lack of sensitivity.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず形で覚えると残りやすい表現です。add A to B は「BにAを足す」なので、injury（被害・痛手）の上に insult（侮辱）まで足す、という二重ダメージの絵を作ると定着します。単なる「状況が悪化する」より、悪い出来事のあとに相手の言動まで重なって、気分までえぐられる感じが核です。試合に負けた直後に笑われる、ミスをしたあとに責められる場面と結びつけると使い分けしやすいです。
Remember the pattern `add A to B`: you put one bad thing on top of another. First there is `injury`, then `insult` is added, so the pain becomes both physical and emotional. It is useful for situations where something bad happens and then someone says or does something that makes it worse.
例文
I missed my flight, and to add insult to injury, the airline lost my luggage.
飛行機に乗り遅れた上に、追い打ちをかけるように航空会社に荷物を紛失された。
He was already upset about losing the match, and to add insult to injury, his teammates blamed him.
試合に負けて落ち込んでいたのに、傷口に塩を塗るように、チームメイトに責められた。
The restaurant overcharged us, and to add insult to injury, the waiter was rude when we complained.
レストランに多く請求された上、傷口に塩を塗るように、苦情を言うとウェイターが無礼だった。
to add insult to injury の類義語・関連語
to add insult to injury の語源・成り立ち Etymology
to add insult to injury は二語ともラテン語系で、insult は in-『上に』+ saltare『跳ぶ』、injury は in-『否定』+ ius『権利』です。exult や justice と見比べると、『傷の上にさらに侮辱を重ねる』痛さが語源から見えます。
This idiom joins two words with Latin roots. Insult comes from Latin insultare, literally "to jump on," while injury comes from Latin iniuria, meaning "wrong" or "violation of rights," from ius "right, law." The phrase grew into the image of harming someone and then adding disrespect on top of that.
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