take the wind out of someone's sails
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take the wind out of someone's sails
Where it comes from
Referring to the idea of a ship that intercepts the wind of another, causing it to slow or stop.
verb takes the wind out of someone's sails · taking the wind out of someone's sails · took the wind out of someone's sails · taken the wind out of someone's sails · knock the wind out of someone's sails
- To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions. "I tell you Van Bahr Lamb is a fool." […] But Polly […] completely took the wind out of her sails, by coolly remarking,— "I like fools."
Translations
Every language
verb to discourage someone
| Deutsch | jemandem den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen |
|---|---|
| Italiano | remare contro, scoraggiare, disilludere, mettere in ginocchio |
Talk about this word "take the wind out of someone's sails." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/take%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. take the wind out of someone's sails. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/take%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails "take the wind out of someone's sails." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/take%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails.Cite this
@misc{take_the_wind_out_of_someone_s_sails_2026,
title = {take the wind out of someone's sails},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/take%20the%20wind%20out%20of%20someone's%20sails},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
