Hold Someone’s Feet To The Fire

Pronunciation: /hoʊld ˈsʌmwʌnz fit tu ðə ˈfaɪər/

Definitions of hold someone’s feet to the fire

noun a person's feet being held close to a fire as a form of punishment or coercion

Example Sentences

A1 I don't want to hold someone's feet to the fire, but they need to take responsibility for their actions.

A2 The boss had to hold someone's feet to the fire to get them to meet the deadline.

B1 The teacher had to hold the student's feet to the fire to make them study harder for the exam.

B2 The manager decided to hold someone's feet to the fire in order to improve their performance at work.

C1 The government is being held to the fire by the public for their lack of action on climate change.

C2 The journalist held the politician's feet to the fire during the interview, asking tough questions about corruption.

Examples of hold someone’s feet to the fire in a Sentence

formal During the investigation, the prosecutor made sure to hold the suspect's feet to the fire to get to the truth.

informal The teacher really held my feet to the fire when I didn't turn in my assignment on time.

slang My boss is always holding my feet to the fire about showing up late to work.

figurative In order to make progress on the project, we need to hold each other's feet to the fire and stay accountable.

Grammatical Forms of hold someone’s feet to the fire

• past tense: held
• plural: hold
• comparative: more holding
• superlative: most holding
• present tense: hold
• future tense: will hold
• perfect tense: have held
• continuous tense: holding
• singular: holds
• positive degree: hold
• infinitive: to hold
• gerund: holding
• participle: held

Origin and Evolution of hold someone’s feet to the fire

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'hold someone’s feet to the fire' originated from the practice of torture in medieval times where individuals were literally held over a fire to extract information or a confession.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase has evolved to mean putting pressure on someone to answer questions or to face the consequences of their actions.