rub someone's nose in it

Related to word: rub

Idiom

Definition

  1. To repeatedly remind someone of a past mistake or failure, often in a way that is intended to make them feel embarrassed or humiliated.

    • After he lost the game, his opponent kept rubbing his nose in it, which was really like rubbing salt into the wound.

    • She knew I messed up the presentation, but she kept rubbing my nose in it, making me feel awful.

    • He already knows he made a mistake, you don't need to keep rubbing his nose in it to humiliate him further.