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Glite Dictionary
to stick the knife in

to stick the knife in

1 9.4
Say or do something on purpose to hurt someone who is already in trouble
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dar la puñalada
  • After she confided her fears, he really stuck the knife in by revealing her secrets to everyone.

Why would they support her press tour when it's all about sticking the knife in their back?

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Examples

  • "Iowahawk sticks the knife in so nicely that you don't even feel it until everything starts to go dark and fuzzy."

    Blog text (21)

  • During the meeting, Tom stuck the knife in by criticizing her ideas when she was already feeling insecure.

  • When she was already upset about losing her job, he stuck the knife in by saying he never believed in her abilities.

Synonyms

to stick it to
vsto stick the knife in
  • Informal
40 8.6

Punish or hurt someone to get revenge

is about deliberately hurting or betraying someone already in a difficult situation
to add insult to injury
vsto stick the knife in
  • Informal
12 4.5

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that hurts someone more

aim to deeply hurt or betray someone already struggling rather than just upset them
to rub salt in the wound
vsto stick the knife in
  • Informal
1 6.6

To make someone's bad feelings worse by reminding them of a disappointment

deliberately betray or deeply hurt someone already in a difficult situation
to cut to the quick
vsto stick the knife in
  • Literature
1 7.9

To hurt someone's feelings very deeply

is more about worsening an already bad situation with deliberate betrayal
to cut someone's throat
vsto stick the knife in
  • Offensive
8.4

To betray or hurt someone to get an advantage

focus on causing pain when someone is already vulnerable rather than personal gain

Antonyms

help
∞ 1.0

An act that makes something easier for someone

to support
∞ 1.0

Give help to a person or idea

How Hurtful

to backstabbing
  • Informal
4.7
twist of the knife
  • Informal
1 8.9
to stick the knife in
  • Informal
1 9.4
to add insult to injury
  • Informal
12 4.5

Surface Forms

stick the knife in infinitive
sticking the knife in present participle
sticks the knife in third person singular
stuck the knife in past
stuck the knife in past participle

Morphology

stick + the + knife + in

The figurative meaning 'to deliberately hurt or betray someone' is motivated by the literal image of piercing (stick + knife + in), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer a sense of harm or attack. However, the extension from physical stabbing to social/psychological betrayal or a hurtful remark is metaphorical and relies on pragmatic/cultural knowledge, making the exact nuance (especially verbal vs. physical harm) not fully predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The idiom stick the knife in comes from the picture of someone sticking a knife into a person who is already hurt, making the pain worse. So it means 'to deliberately hurt or betray someone, especially when they are already in trouble'.