English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE
add fuel to the fire: meaning and examples
add fuel to the fire means make a bad situation or argument worse.
Aprende la expresión como una unidad fija y observa la preposición y la forma verbal en los ejemplos.
این عبارت را بهصورت یک واحد ثابت یاد بگیرید و به حرف اضافه و شکل فعل در مثالها توجه کنید.
Lerne die Wendung als feste Einheit und achte in den Beispielen auf Präposition und Verbform.
Apprenez l’expression comme une unité fixe et observez la préposition et la forme verbale dans les exemples.
Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “add fuel to the fire” and connect it to this meaning: make a bad situation or argument worse.
How to use “add fuel to the fire”
- His angry message added fuel to the fire.
- Don’t add fuel to the fire by blaming her.
Common mistake: Treat “add fuel to the fire” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 20, where you can compare it with other idioms about conflict and practise it interactively.
Open the full lesson →