stew in (one's) (own) juice(s)
To brood over one's unpleasant emotions, such as guilt, anger, or anxiety, in isolation. Kevin was in such a foul mood at dinner that I left early and just let him stew in his own juice. I can tell the suspect is racked with guilt. Let her stew in her juices for a while, and she'll confess.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
stew in one's own juice
Fig. to be left alone to suffer one's anger or disappointment. John has such a terrible temper. When he got mad at us, we just let him go away and stew in his own juice. After John stewed in his own juice for a while, he decided to come back and apologize to us.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.