Pour fuel on the fire Meaning in English
expression
POR FYOO-uhl on thuh FY-er
PAW FYOO-uhl on thuh FY-uh
Definition
To do or say something that makes a bad situation even worse, especially when people are already upset.
Usage & Nuances
An idiom, mainly informal. Used for situations where someone's actions or words intensify conflict or trouble. Commonly used to warn against making things worse: "Don’t pour fuel on the fire." Similar to "make matters worse."
Spanish: echar leña al fuegoPortuguese (BR): colocar lenha na fogueira - jogar gasolina no fogo (figurado)Portuguese (PT): deitar lenha na fogueiraChinese (Simplified): 火上浇油Chinese (Traditional): 火上加油Hindi: आग में घी डालनाArabic: يَصب الزيت على النارBengali: আগুনে ঘি ঢালা - পরিস্থিতিকে আরও খারাপ করাRussian: подливать масла в огоньJapanese: 火に油を注ぐVietnamese: đổ thêm dầu vào lửaKorean: 불에 기름을 붓다Turkish: ateşe körükle gitmek - ateşe benzin dökmekUrdu: آگ پر تیل ڈالناIndonesian: menyiram minyak ke api
Example Sentences
Please don’t pour fuel on the fire during the argument.
basic
He poured fuel on the fire by making that rude comment.
basic
Don’t pour fuel on the fire by shouting at them.
basic
Her sarcasm just poured fuel on the fire and made everyone angrier.
natural
He thought he was helping but actually just poured fuel on the fire.
natural
Let’s not pour fuel on the fire—just give them some space.
natural