Idiom: touch a nerve
Meaning
Idiom: hit / touch a (raw) nerve
- to annoy or irritate someone by talking about a sensitive or upsetting topic.
Example sentences
— Please don't talk about Sarah’s tonight—you know that touches a raw nerve with Steve.
— Anytime they talk about how all poor people are lazy and don’t want to work, it really touches a nerve.
— Mentioning my ex-husband's name still hits a raw nerve.
— On the anniversary of 911, we have extra counselors available on our hotline because the date touches a raw nerve.
— My wife had several miscarriages and a still birth so Mother's Day and seeing infants always hit a raw nerve.
— For my wife, credit card debt really touches a nerve.
— My husband's expensive golf hobby really touches a raw nerve.
— I've noticed your swearing touches a raw nerve with your mother.
— Since my divorce, wedding bells really touch a nerve.
— President Trump's tweets telling people to "go back where they come from" has really touched a raw nerve with minorities.
Synonyms
- wind up someone
- get a rise out of someone
- get someone's goat
- drive someone mad
- give someone grief
- push/press someone's button
- rattle someone's cage
- ruffle someone's feathers
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