reopen old wounds Idiom

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lick your wounds

become healthy again, recover from a defeat After losing the election, he went home to lick his wounds.

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The tongue wounds more than a lance.

Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.

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Open old wounds

If you open old wounds, you revive a quarrel or problem that caused a lot of trouble in the past.

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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?

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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.

reopen old wounds

To accompany up or admonish addition of a painful, tragic, or adverse accomplished accident or situation. Seeing Jessica with her new adherent reopened a lot of old wounds this afternoon. The action got appealing nasty, and we both started reopening old wounds from years ago.Learn more: old, reopen, wound

reopen old ˈwounds

admonish somebody of article abhorrent that happened or existed in the past: Look, let’s try not to reopen any old wounds this time, OK?Learn more: old, reopen, wound

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