to pour fuel on the fire
- idiom
- Informal
:
echar leña al fuego
- Don't pour fuel on the fire by arguing with him!
Examples
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Instead of calming things down, his remarks poured fuel on the fire.
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Her harsh criticism only poured fuel on the fire during their heated debate.
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Spreading rumors will pour fuel on the fire and escalate the conflict.
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She always pours fuel on the fire during family disputes.
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His comments only poured fuel on the fire of their ongoing argument, making the situation more heated.
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The media coverage has poured fuel on the fire, escalating tensions between the two communities.
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Instead of calming the situation, her harsh words poured fuel on the fire and increased the conflict.
Synonyms
69
8.0
To make a problem or feeling worse
37
4.0
To cause a situation to become more difficult or unpleasant
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
5.9
To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that makes people angrier
2
4.8
To put extra fuel on a fire or make a disagreement worse
1
7.3
Make a bad situation worse by what you say or do
Antonyms
How Damaging
Surface Forms
Morphology
The image of literally pouring fuel onto a fire directly maps to making a bad situation worse, so a learner who knows 'pour', 'fuel', and 'fire' can readily infer the metaphorical meaning. This is a straightforward, widely attested metaphor across languages and follows conventional composition, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The idiom pour fuel on the fire comes from the clear image of someone adding fuel to a burning fire: when you pour fuel onto flames, the fire grows bigger and faster. That's why saying or doing something that adds heat or anger is called pouring fuel on the fire — it 'makes the situation worse'.