to add fuel to the fire
7
5.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
echar leña al fuego
- Her comments during the meeting really added fuel to the fire, making tensions between the departments even worse.
- add fuel to the fire
And even though he didn't really directly add fuel to the fire, in practice, he did.
- And even though he didn't really directly add fuel to the fire, in practice, he did.
- But really, what she's doing is adding fuel to the fire of all this confusion.
- White supremacy has added fuel to the fire that had already given us so much to mourn.
- Some on an even larger scale, but at least the Chinese government does appear to be trying to cool things down rather than adding fuel to the fire.
- Yeah, well man came back adding fuel to the fire.
- But it's but the social media aspect of it because you know a part of you wants to defend yourself, but then you know, you just add fuel to the fire if you do.
- Because now when when something happens, you will be better equipped to diffuse him rather than add fuel to the fire.
Examples
-
In relations with the West, Russian officials sometimes seem determined to add fuel to the fire of Russophobia.
Academic text (2011) -
Washington and Brussels have been adding fuel to the fire by threatening to use force.
Blog text (11) -
If you ask me, we're still just adding fuel to the fire, but what the hell do I know?
-
So media made this up to add more fuel to the fire.
Blog text (26) -
It's not your style, and it would only add fuel to the fire of gossip.
Fiction book (1991) -
But now it adds more fuel to the fire of the current scandal.
Blog text (3) -
You don't wanna add fuel to the fire by being late.
-
If we don't continue to add fuel to the fire, his flame will just burn out.
Blog text (24) -
Not informing LEAF buyers would simply be adding fuel to the fire.
Blog text (21) -
The perceived unfairness of international economic rules today roils almost every society, adding fuel to the fire of other grievances.
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
177
4.3
To make feelings, arguments or actions stronger
70
4.1
Make people feel excited and ready to act
69
8.0
To make a problem or feeling worse
57
3.4
To become more intense or make a situation more intense
48
4.8
To make people feel strong emotions like anger or fear
37
4.0
To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant
31
5.8
To make people's feelings stronger, especially anger or hate
26
4.2
Make a situation more urgent to force someone to act
12
4.5
To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that hurts someone more
8
7.2
To make an argument or feeling worse by encouraging it
7
5.6
To add fuel or stir a fire to make it burn hotter
2
4.8
To put extra fuel on a fire or make a disagreement worse
1
7.4
Make people more angry and cause conflict between groups
1
6.6
To make someone's bad feelings worse by reminding them of a disappointment
1
7.3
Make a bad situation worse by what you say or do
To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something
To cause trouble between people to get attention
To make feelings like anger or excitement stronger
Antonyms
How Harmful
- NSFW
72
7.7
48
4.8
- Informal
7
5.9
31
5.8
97
2.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is signalled by a clear, conventional metaphor: adding fuel makes a fire grow, so someone who knows 'add', 'fuel', and 'fire' can usually infer it means making a situation worse by intensifying anger or trouble. This image is common cross-linguistically and fairly predictable but is still metaphorical rather than purely compositional, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
The idiom add fuel to the fire comes from the idea of a real fire: if you put more fuel on a fire it burns hotter and faster. So, when someone uses it they mean 'to make a bad situation worse'.