📖 Meaning
To add trouble to someone who is already in difficulty, or to kick someone when they are down. It describes the despicable act of making matters worse for a person who is already in a desperate or vulnerable situation.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from a passage in the Tang dynasty essay 'To Wang Feng' (《答王凤书》) by the renowned poet and official Han Yu (韩愈). Han Yu wrote that when someone falls into a well, some people not only fail to help but even throw stones down after them. This metaphor powerfully condemned those who exploit others' misfortune.
💡 Example Usage
他都已经失业了，你还在背后说他的坏话，这不是落井下石吗？
He's already lost his job, and you're still badmouthing him behind his back — isn't that kicking him while he's down?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 落井下石
- Pinyin: luò jǐng xià shí
- Literal Translation: fall, well, down, stone
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4