落井下石

luòjǐngxiàshí

idiom #21,611

Meanings

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

Characters

to fall; to drop

well (for water)

Examples

他已经失业了，你还批评他，真是落井下石。

Tā yǐjīng shīyè le, nǐ hái pīpíng tā, zhēn shì luòjǐngxiàshí.

He's already lost his job, and you're still criticizing him — that's really kicking him when he's down.

在朋友最困难的时候落井下石，是不道德的行为。

Zài péngyou zuì kùnnán de shíhou luòjǐngxiàshí, shì bù dàodé de xíngwéi.

Kicking a friend when they're at their lowest point is immoral behavior.

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