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Glite Dictionary
to kick someone when they are down

to kick someone when they are down

1 6.9
To treat someone badly when they already have problems
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : atacar a alguien en su momento más bajo
  • * Kick him when he's down and hope that * He don't plan on getting up

Examples

  • I might even kick him when he's down.

    All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

  • He always seems to kick people when they're down by making fun of their failures.

  • Somehow, most young women these days tend to kick people when they're down.

    Blog text (23)

  • Somehow, most young women these days tend to kick people when they're down.

    Blog text (23)

  • I know for a fact that he paid out of his own pocket for medical procedures for some folks and was always there to bring a person up even when the world was kicking them when they were down.

    Blog text (23)

  • * Kick him when he's down and hope that * He don't plan on getting up

    Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011)

  • PS—don't let anyone tell you different—it still feels good to kick someone when they are down when it's so well deserved.

    Blog text (26)

  • It's unfair to kick someone when they are down, especially when they need support the most.

  • Critics should remember not to kick someone when they are down after their recent mistakes.

Synonyms

to kick around
vsto kick someone when they are down
  • NSFW
10 7.5

Treat someone badly and unfairly again and again

applies specifically to attacking or criticizing while someone is vulnerable
to sandbag
vsto kick someone when they are down
  • Informal
1 7.5

To hit or attack someone unexpectedly and unfairly

focuses on harming someone because they are already in a vulnerable state
to hit him when he's down
vsto kick someone when they are down
  • Informal
8.2

Say mean things to someone when they are already in trouble

is the same meaning but phrased differently
to strike someone when they are down
vsto kick someone when they are down
  • Informal
8.4

To criticize or take advantage of someone when they are weak

emphasizes criticism or bad treatment when someone is vulnerable
to put the boot in
vsto kick someone when they are down
  • UK
9.1

To attack or criticize someone who is already in trouble

is the neutral description of attacking when someone is vulnerable

Antonyms

to lift up
19 3.7

To make someone feel happier and more hopeful

supporting
2.1

Giving help or comfort to someone who needs it

How Cruel

to torment
  • NSFW
107 7.2
to kick someone when they are down
  • Informal
1 6.9
to humiliate
  • Offensive
414 6.1
attack
548 3.2
insult
  • Offensive
313 1.3
to criticize
701 3.3

Surface Forms

kick someone when they are down infinitive
kicked someone when they are down past
kicked someone when they are down past participle
kicking someone when they are down present participle
kicks someone when they are down third person singular

Morphology

kick + someone + when + they + be + down

The meaning is directly inferable from the constituents: 'kick' (to strike or attack) combined with 'down' (physically or emotionally lowered/vulnerable) yields the idea of attacking or mistreating someone already in a weak position. This metaphorical extension is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the words will likely understand the expression.

Etymology

Kick someone when they are down shows the picture of a person on the ground being kicked by others, where kick is the hitting and down means already fallen. So the phrase came to mean attacking or treating someone badly when they are already 'in trouble'.