गड़े मुर्दे उखाड़ना

gaḍe murde ukhāṛnā◆idiom
to rake up old issues

उसने गड़े मुर्दे उखाड़ दिए और सब कुछ बिगाड़ दिया।

He raked up old issues and spoiled everything.

◆ What It Really Means
to deliberately revive old conflicts or grievances that should remain forgotten, often to cause harm or create tension
Literal Meaning
to dig up buried corpses
Literal Breakdown
गड़े मुर्देburied corpses+उखाड़नाto uproot or dig out
◇ Mental Image
The mental image is of digging up rotting corpses from the ground, evoking a sense of disgust and revulsion. This imagery is used metaphorically to describe the act of bringing up painful or unpleasant past events.
◈ When to Use
Imagine a family gathering where someone brings up an old argument that everyone had agreed to forget. Another family member might say, 'तुम गड़े मुर्दे क्यों उखाड़ रहे हो?' (Why are you digging up old corpses?) to criticize the action.
◉ Cultural Note
This idiom reflects the cultural importance of 'forgiveness' and 'letting go' in Hindi-speaking societies. Revisiting old grievances is often seen as socially unacceptable and disruptive to harmony.
informal

to deliberately bring up past conflicts, grievances, or unresolved matters that are better left forgotten, often to create tension or harm someone

तुम्हें गड़े मुर्दे क्यों उखाड़ रहे हो? सब भूल जाना चाहिए।

Why are you raking up old issues? Everything should be forgotten.

उसने गड़े मुर्दे उखाड़कर सबका मूood खराब कर दिया।

He spoiled everyone's mood by dredging up the past.

Often used in personal or social contexts to criticize someone for unnecessarily revisiting painful or irrelevant history.

Related Phrases

गड़ा मुर्दाphrase
a buried corpse; metaphorically, an old unresolved issue
मुर्दा शान्तिphrase
peace after death; metaphorically, lasting peace after a conflict

Pro Tip

Context matters

Use this idiom when someone is intentionally bringing up past conflicts to hurt or annoy others. It is not used for general discussions about history or past events.

Gold Rule

Avoid literal translation

This idiom is not about digging up actual corpses. The literal meaning is irrelevant; focus on the figurative sense of revisiting old grievances.

Usage Notes

This idiom is commonly used in Hindi-speaking regions to describe behavior that is seen as disruptive or vindictive. It implies that the person is intentionally causing trouble by revisiting matters that should remain buried.

Word Breakdown

गड़े
buried (past participle of गाड़ना, to bury)
root
+
मुर्दे
corpses
root
+
उखाड़ना
to uproot or dig out
root
हिन्दी-अंग्रेज़ी शब्दकोश