kick someone when they are down
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
to kick someone when they are down; to gang up on someone in misfortune
neutralDescribes the phenomenon where people take advantage of someone's downfall or misfortune to attack or abandon them, often implying cowardice or opportunism. This idiom is derived from Chinese folk wisdom and is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to criticize this behavior.
After his company went bankrupt, his partners withdrew their investments one after another—it's a clear case of everyone kicking a man when he's down.
In the workplace, the worst scenario is when everyone gangs up on you the moment you stumble.
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Now that his reputation is ruined, even his old friends have left him—this is what it means to kick a man when he's down.
We should not kick someone when they are down; instead, we should lend a helping hand to those in difficulty.