pour salt on the wound

The phrase "pour salt on the wound" is an idiomatic expression that means to worsen someone's emotional or physical pain, usually by bringing up a sensitive topic, reminding them of a difficult situation, or adding insult to injury. It figuratively refers to the act of making an existing pain or hurt even more intense or unbearable, similar to the physical sensation of pouring salt onto an open wound, which causes extreme discomfort.