PhrasesHub

added fuel to the fire

    Definitions

      • worsen a situation
        To make a bad situation even worse by saying or doing something that makes people more angry, upset, or excited

    Examples of added fuel to the fire

    • Mary's outburst at the meeting added fuel to the fire between her and John.

      This idiom is used when someone's actions or words make a situation worse or more intense. In this example, Mary's angry comments at the meeting further escalated the conflict between her and John.

    • The politician's inflammatory remarks about immigrants added fuel to the fire of prejudice and hate in the community.

      This idiom is used when someone's statements or actions create or spread negative feelings, beliefs, or attitudes. The politician's comments about immigrants inflamed existing prejudices and hatred, making the situation worse.

    • The company's decision to lay off workers during the economic downturn added fuel to the fire of discontent among its employees.

      This idiom is used when a person or organization's actions create anger or frustration, often as part of a larger problem or issue. The layoffs by the company fueled the employees' discontent, as it added to their existing concerns about the company's management and operations.

    • Sarah's jealousy over her sister's success added fuel to the fire of their sibling rivalry.

      This idiom is used when someone's feelings or emotions contribute to an ongoing disagreement or conflict. Sarah's jealousy of her sister's success further fueled their longstanding sibling rivalry, making it more intense and heated.

    • When Jane's criticism of Peter's work became public, it added fuel to the fire of their ongoing feud. This only worsened the tension between them, causing more arguments and heated discussions.

      The phrase "added fuel to the fire" means that Jane's criticism made the conflict between her and Peter more intense and aggravated. The image behind this idiom is a fire that is already burning, and someone is pouring more fuel onto the flames, making the fire burn more strongly and fiercely. In this context, Jane's criticism became another source of controversy in the ongoing feud, exacerbating the tension between her and Peter.

    • John's insensitive comments added fuel to the fire of the already heated argument.

      In this example, the idiom "added fuel to the fire" is used to express the idea that John's comments made the argument worse by increasing the intensity or severity of the conflict. This phrase is often used when someone's actions or words make a bad situation worse.

    • The politician's inflammatory statements added fuel to the fire of the protests.

      In this example, the idiom is used to describe how the politician's comments further incited the protesters and escalated the unrest.

    • The school principal's scathing criticism of the teacher only added fuel to the fire of the parent's discontent.

      Here, the phrase is used to suggest that the principal's criticism further fueled the parents' anger towards the teacher, magnifying their dissatisfaction.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "added fuel to the fire" is used to describe someone making a situation worse by their actions or words. It can be used in various contexts, such as personal relationships, politics, or conflicts. The intention is to emphasize the exacerbation of an already difficult situation, and the use is to highlight the negative impact of someone's actions.

    Origin of "added fuel to the fire"

    The origin of the idiom "added fuel to the fire" can be traced back to the literal meaning of adding fuel to a fire. In ancient times, people used to add wood or other combustible materials to a fire to make it burn brighter and hotter. Over time, this action became associated with making a situation more intense or difficult. The idiom likely evolved from this literal meaning to its current figurative usage, where it is used to describe making a bad situation even worse. An example of this could be someone adding their opinion to a heated argument, which only serves to escalate the conflict further.