落井下石

luòjǐng-xiàshí
idiom #21,611

Meanings

  1. 1 to kick someone when they're down
  2. 2 to hit a person when he's down
  3. 3 to make things worse for someone already in trouble

Examples

HSK 6
Zài péngyou zuì kùnnán de shíhou luòjǐng-xiàshí, shì búdàodé de xíngwéi.
Kicking a friend when they're at their lowest point is immoral behavior.
HSK 7-9
Tā yǐjīng shīyè le, nǐ hái pīpíng tā, zhēnshì luòjǐng-xiàshí.
He's already lost his job, and you're still criticizing him - that's really kicking him when he's down.

Tips

memory
Literally: 落 (fall) + 井 (well) + 下 (down) + 石 (stone). Imagine someone tumbling into a well, and bystanders throw stones in on top of them. A vivid image for piling on someone already suffering.

Stroke Order

落 luò
井 jǐng
下 xià
石 shí