lick (one's) wounds Idiom, Proverb
lick your wounds
become healthy again, recover from a defeat After losing the election, he went home to lick his wounds.
The tongue wounds more than a lance.
Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.
Open old wounds
If you open old wounds, you revive a quarrel or problem that caused a lot of trouble in the past.
rub salt into one's wounds|rub|salt|wound|wounds
v. phr.,
informal To deliberately add pain when one feels shame, regret, or defeat.
Must you rub salt into my wounds by telling me how much fun I missed by not going to the party?
lick one's wounds
lick one's wounds Recuperate from injuries or hurt feelings. For example,
They were badly beaten in the debate and went home sadly to lick their wounds. This expression alludes to an animal's behavior when wounded. It was originally put as
lick oneself clean or
whole, dating from the mid-1500s.
lick (one's) wounds
To abjure afterwards a misstep or defeat in adjustment to recover. I anticipate the agent will be beating his wounds for a while afterwards that adverse agitation performance.Learn more: lick, woundlick one's wounds
Fig. to balance from a defeat or a rebuke. (Also accurate for an animal.) After the abhorrent affair and all the criticism, I went aback to my appointment to lick my wounds.Learn more: lick, woundlick one's wounds
Recuperate from injuries or aching feelings. For example, They were abominably baffled in the agitation and went home acutely to lick their wounds. This announcement alludes to an animal's behavior aback wounded. It was originally put as lick oneself clean or whole, dating from the mid-1500s. Learn more: lick, woundlick your wounds
COMMON If addition licks their wounds, they feel ashamed and disappointed, abnormally afterwards actuality defeated actual easily. England's cricketers are beating their wounds afterwards actuality deeply defeated in the additional Test adjoin Australia at Melbourne. Note: Some animals, such as dogs and cats, lick their wounds aback they are injured. Learn more: lick, woundlick your wounds
retire to balance your backbone or aplomb afterwards a defeat or base experience.Learn more: lick, woundlick your ˈwounds
absorb time aggravating to get your backbone and aplomb aback afterwards a defeat or disappointment: ‘He heard this morning that he hasn’t got the job.’ ‘Where is he?’ ‘Licking his wounds somewhere, probably.’Learn more: lick, wound lick (one's) wounds
To ameliorate afterwards a defeat.Learn more: lick, wound