Last Updated：2025/11/21

(idiomatic) To discourage someone greatly; to cause someone to lose hope or the will to continue; to thwart or minimize someone's ambitions.

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take the wind out of someone's sails

Source Word

take the wind out of someone's sails

idiomatic

Japanese Meaning

誰かの意欲をそぐ / 誰かを大いに落胆させる / 誰かの希望や野心を打ち砕く / 勢いを失わせる

Her blunt criticism took the wind out of someone's sails right before they gave their pitch.

彼女の手厳しい批判は、発表の直前に誰かの意気を大きくそいでしまった。

Sense（1）

"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."

takes the wind out of someone's sails

（ present singular third-person ）

taking the wind out of someone's sails

（ participle present ）

took the wind out of someone's sails

（ past ）

taken the wind out of someone's sails

（ participle past ）