Meanings
present singular third person kicks someone when they are down · participle present kicking someone when they are down · participle past kicked someone when they were down · past kicked someone when they were down · alternative kick someone while they are down
- idiomaticTo make things worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.
They would never kick someone when they are down or give themselves an unfair advantage by cheating or stealing. The implications of this type of behavior are huge.
2000, Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times, page 114Synonyms: kick a dog when it's down, strike someone when they are down, hit someone when they are down
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make things worse for someone who is going through a difficult time.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 落井下石
- 落井下石 (luòjǐngxiàshí)make things worse for someone
Finnish lyödä lyötyä
- lyödä lyötyämake things worse for someone
French frapper un ennemi à terre
- frapper un ennemi à terremake things worse for someone
Italian pugnalare un uomo morto
- pugnalare un uomo mortomake things worse for someone
Polish kopać leżącego
- kopać leżącegomake things worse for someone
Spanish hacer leña del árbol caído
- hacer leña del árbol caídomake things worse for someone
Swedish sparka på någon som ligger
- sparka på någon som liggermake things worse for someone
Cite this entry
kick someone when they are down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20someone%20when%20they%20are%20down
“kick someone when they are down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20someone%20when%20they%20are%20down. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kick someone when they are down,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20someone%20when%20they%20are%20down.
Source: kick someone when they are down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.