impale (someone, something, or oneself) on (something)

impale (someone, something, or oneself) on (something)

1. To stab someone or something with something. They used to impale their victims on pikes, I swear! Take one step closer, and I'll impale you on this knife, I swear to God! These are violent gang members who won't hesitate to impale you on any weapon they can find.

2. To be stabbed with or by something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "impale" and "on." You're going to impale yourself on one of those sharp rocks if you're not careful! I had to get stitches in my hand after I kind of impaled myself on a knife in the kitchen. Hey, watch where you're going! You don't want to impale yourself on one of these stakes!

See also: impale, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

impale someone or something on something

to put someone or something on a pointed object and press down. The crowd had impaled an effigy of the dictator on a sharpened stick. The waves almost impaled me on a submerged tree branch.

See also: impale, on

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.