How do you say “Add fuel to the fire” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Öl ins Feuer gießen, which literally means “To pour oil into the fire”. English speakers use add fuel to the fire to mean to make a bad situation or an argument worse. A direct counterpart, equally at home in the news and in conversation. It is neutral and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Öl ins Feuer gießen
/øːl ɪns ˈfɔɪɐ ˈɡiːsən/
- Literal meaning
- “To pour oil into the fire”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Both languages inherited this image from the same classical source, so the translation is direct and completely natural.
German uses oil where English usually uses fuel; "Benzin ins Feuer gießen" (petrol) also occurs and is a little stronger.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Die Situation weiter anheizen
Literally: “To heat the situation up further”
Neutral and common in reporting.
Salz in die Wunde streuen
Literally: “To scatter salt into the wound”
Different nuance: making an existing hurt worse, not an argument.
In context
English
That email only added fuel to the fire.
German
Diese E-Mail hat nur Öl ins Feuer gegossen.
English
Don't add fuel to the fire.
German
Gieß jetzt nicht noch Öl ins Feuer.
Related expressions
- What “Add fuel to the fire” means in English
- Walking on eggshells, Acting very cautiously around someone.
- The elephant in the room, An obvious issue nobody mentions.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11