What Does "Kick a Dog When It's Down" Mean?
"Kick a dog when it's down" is an English idiom. It means "to harm, criticize, or take advantage of someone who is already in a difficult or unfavorable situation."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "kick a dog when it's down" used in a sentence:- Taking away her scholarship now would be like kicking a dog when it's down.
- He felt like his colleagues were kicking him when he was down.
- The community came together to support rather than kick those who were down.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Kick a Dog When It's Down" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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