knock the wind out of someone's sails
- knock the wind out of someone's sails
knock the wind out of someone's sails
1. Lit. to bring someone to an abrupt halt by a heavy blow to the body, presumably knocking the person's wind out. (Alludes to a ship being slowed by positioning another ship to block off the wind from the first ship's sails.) •
Fred hit Mike and really knocked the wind out of his sails.
•
Fred ran into the side of the garage and knocked the wind out of his sails.
2. Fig. to humiliate someone. •
The sharp rebuke from the boss knocked the wind out of his sails.
•
That scolding really knocked the wind out of her sails.
Dictionary of American idioms.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
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