knock the wind out of someone's sails

A form of take the wind out of someone's sails — To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions.

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Meanings

verbknock the wind out of someone's sails (third-person singular simple present knocks the wind out of someone's sails, present participle knocking the wind out of someone's sails, simple past and past participle knocked the wind out of someone's sails)

present singular third person knocks the wind out of someone's sails · participle present knocking the wind out of someone's sails · participle past knocked the wind out of someone's sails · past knocked the wind out of someone's sails

  1. alternativeAlternative form of take the wind out of someone's sails.
Cite this entry
APA

knock the wind out of someone's sails. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails

MLA

“knock the wind out of someone's sails.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “knock the wind out of someone's sails,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knock%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails.

Source: knock the wind out of someone's sails on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.