add insult to injury Definition

insult
verb insulted, insulting

1. To speak rudely or offensively to or about someone or something.

Thesaurus: vilify, abuse, give offence to, libel, revile, offend, snub, call names, slander, slight.
2. To behave in a way that offends or affronts.

noun

1. A rude or offensive remark or action.

Thesaurus: aspersion, snub, libel, offence, slander, slight, indignity, insolence, abuse, slap in the face; Antonym: compliment, honour.
2. An affront.

Example: The film was an insult to the intelligence
3a. medicine.
Injury or damage to the body;
3b. medicine.
A cause of this.

Derivative: insulting
adj

(of a remark or action) rude or offensive
Thesaurus: offensive, rude, disparaging, slanderous, hurtful, libelous, abusive, scurrilous, contemptuous, insolent.

Derivative: insultingly
adverb

Idiom: add insult to injury

To treat someone who has already been hurt, offended, etc with further discourtesy.

To make matters worse
Example: And then, to add insult to injury, we ran out of petrol!

Etymology: 16c: French: from Latin insultare to leap on, to assail.