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add fuel to the flame(s)
To do or say something to make an argument, problem, or bad situation worse; to further incense an already angry person or group of people. The debate was going poorly for the senatorial candidate, and his strikingly uncouth comments simply added fuel to the flames. Revelations of the CEO's massive retirement package added fuel to the flame for consumers already furious over the company's dubious financial dealings.
amount to the same thing
To be essentially the same. The phrase usually implies that the difference between two things has no significant consequence. I don't care who started the fight, it all amounts to the same thing: you getting suspended from school. These different expenses all amount to the same thing: money coming out of my bank account.
add fuel to the fire
To do or say something to make an argument, problem, or bad situation worse; to further incense an already angry person or group of people. The debate was going poorly for the senatorial candidate, and his strikingly uncouth comments simply added fuel to the fire. Revelations of the CEO's massive retirement package added fuel to the fire for consumers already furious over the company's dubious financial dealings.
add fuel to the flames
To do or say something to make an argument, problem, or bad situation worse; to further incense an already angry person or group of people. The debate was going poorly for the senatorial candidate, and his strikingly uncouth comments simply added fuel to the flames. Revelations of the CEO's massive retirement package added fuel to the flames for consumers already furious over the company's dubious financial dealings.
add insult to injury
To exacerbate an already problematic situation in a way that is humiliating; to make someone who has just experienced injury or defeat feel worse about the situation with one's words. A: "Well, it's not like you were having a great season before you broke your leg." B: "Thanks for adding insult to injury." I was already late for work and, to add insult to injury, I spilled coffee all over myself.
add (something) into
To mix or join two or more things together. Make sure you add milk into the brownie mix before putting the pan in the oven. Can we add some more herbs into the sauce? It's pretty bland.
add (something) together
To calculate the sum or total of multiple items. Can you take these receipts and add the totals together for me?
add up
1. To calculate the sum or total of multiple items. Can you add up these numbers? I'm worried I made an error in my calculations.
2. To equal the expected or presumed amount. These numbers just aren't adding up—I think I made a mistake somewhere.
3. To be logical or believable. I listened to Jill's explanation, but I'm still skeptical—something just doesn't add up.
4. To become a significant amount. Usually used in reference to increasing expenses. With all of the driving I do for work, the cost of gas and maintenance really starts to add up. It will take a while for you to become a master, but all this practice really does add up.
5. To judge someone or something As I waited for my interview to start, I studied the other candidates and added up my competition.
add up to
To equal or amount to something. The cash in the drawer doesn't add up to the amount of sales we made today. These new details do not add up to the story the witnesses told us.
add fuel to the fire
and add fuel to the flameFig. to make a problem worse; to say or do something that makes a bad situation worse; to make an angry person get even angrier. (Alludes to causing a flame to grow larger someone or something to move forward when fuel is added.) Shouting at a crying child just adds fuel to the fire.
add insult to injury
Fig. Cliché to make a bad situation worse; to hurt the feelings of a person who has already been hurt. First, the basement flooded, and then, to add insult to injury, a pipe burst in the kitchen. My car barely started this morning, and to add insult to injury, I got a flat tire in the driveway.
add something into something
and add(something) in to introduce something into something else. Now, add the eggs into the mixture. Add in some more eggs.
add (something) to something
to increase the intensity or amount of something by giving more (of something) to it. You added too much sugar to my coffee.
add (something) to something
to increase the intensity or amount of something by giving more (of something) to it. You added too much sugar to my coffee.
add something together
to sum or total two or more things. Add these two together and tell me what you get.
add something up
to sum or total a set of figures. (See also
add up (to something).)
Please add these figures up again. I didn't add up these figures!add up
(to something) 1. Lit. [for a set of figures] to equal a total. These figures don't add up to the right total!
2. Fig. [for facts or explanations] to make sense. (Considering facts as if they were figures.) Your explanation just doesn't add up!
amount to the same thing
and come to the same thing; add up to the same thingFig. to be the same [as something]. Borrowing can be the same as stealing. If the owner does not know what you have borrowed, it amounts to the same thing. With cars—whether they're red or blue—it comes to the same thing.
tack something onto something
and tack something onto add something onto something. The waiter kept tacking charges onto my bill. He tacked on charge after charge.
add up
(spoken) 1. to be reasonable
His story of what happened to him just doesn't add up. Usage notes: usually used with not, as in the example
2. to increase in expense With five kids in the family, our medical bills really add up.
add up to something
to result in something
The details don't add up to a complete picture of what caused the explosion. Related vocabulary:
amount to something add fuel to the fire
to make a situation worse than it already is Should the government warn the public of terrorist threats, or is this merely adding fuel to the fire?
add insult to injury
to make a bad situation worse The airline charged me extra for checking in a bike and then added insult to injury by charging me for a box to pack it in.
amount to the same thing
also come to the same thing to be nearly the same thing, after you consider it She wanted him to suffer and she wanted to punish him, which amounts to the same thing.
add fuel to the fire/flames
to make an argument or a bad situation worse His mild words only added fuel to the fire. Isabelle was furious.
add insult to injury
to make a bad situation even worse for someone by doing something else to upset them First of all he arrived an hour late and then, to add insult to injury, he proceeded to complain about my choice of restaurant.
add fuel to the fire
Also,
add fuel to the flames. Worsen an already bad situation, as by increasing anger, hostility, or passion, as in
Bill was upset, and your making fun of his mishap just added fuel to the fire. This metaphor dates from Roman times-Livy used it in his history of Rome-and it remains in common use. For similar metaphors, see
add insult to injury;
fan the flames.
add insult to injury
Hurt a person's feelings after doing him or her harm; also, make a bad situation worse. For example, Not only did the club refuse him, but it published a list of the rejected applicants-that's adding insult to injury , or The nearest parking space was half a mile away, and then, to add insult to injury, it began to pour : The phrase is an ancient one, even older than its often cited use in the Roman writer Phaedrus's fable of the bald man and the fly. A fly bit the head of a bald man, who, trying to crush it, gave himself a heavy blow. The fly then jeered, "You want to avenge an insect's sting with death; what will you do to yourself, who have added insult to injury?" In English it was first recorded in 1748.
add up
1. Amount to an expected or correct total, as in These figures don't add up, meaning they are not correct. [Mid-1800s]
2. Be consistent, make sense, as in I'm not sure that all this testimony will add up. [First half of 1900s]
3. Assess, form an opinion of, as in
He looked across the track and added up the competition. Also see
add up to.
add up to
Amount to, signify, as in
The smooth airline connections, luxury hotel, and fine weather added up to the best vacation we'd ever had . [Early 1900s] Also see
add up.
amount to the same thing
Also, come to the same thing. Make no difference, be the same, as in Since it's supposed to rain all day, whether I go outdoors now or later will amount to the same thing , or Paying in cash or with a credit card, it comes to the same thing.
add on
v.1. To increase, by some additional amount, a quantity that is associated with something: The waiter added $5 on the bill for the extra pretzels we ordered. That tip is too low for the good service we had, so let's add on another dollar. Last night, the storm added on more than twenty inches to the record snowfall.
2. To attach something in order to extend or enlarge something else: We're adding another room on the back of the house. The guest list is full, so we can't add anybody else on. If there aren't enough logs in the fire, add another one on.
add to
v. To increase the amount or intensity of something: The increase in fuel prices will add to the cost of living in the city. After I broke my arm, I added to my misery by chipping a tooth.
add up
v.1. To calculate a sum by adding some set of numbers: The students added up the numbers they had copied from the blackboard. If you add all the scores up, we'll find out who won.
2. To calculate something, especially by addition: The shopkeeper added up the day's profits.
3. To amount to an expected total: Unfortunately, when we put the numbers into the equation, they did not add up.
4. To be reasonable, plausible, or consistent; make sense: The jury did not believe the witness's testimony because it simply did not add up.
add up to
To constitute; amount to: The revisions added up to a lot of work.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Guiying | | - | Chinese |
| Karel | | KAH-rəl (Dutch), KAH-rel (Czech) | Dutch, Czech, Slovene |
| Angelo | | AHN-je-lo | Italian |
| Medrod | | - | Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance |
| Haraldur | | - | Icelandic |
| Kaylin | | KAY-lin | English (Modern) |