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Glite Dictionary
hit in the pit of someone's stomach

hit in the pit of someone's stomach

9.5
Cause a sudden sick feeling of fear or shock in the stomach
  • idiom
translation icon : caer como un balde de agua fría
  • When I heard the accident had happened, it hit in the pit of my stomach and I felt sick.

Examples

  • The announcement of layoffs hit him in the pit of his stomach, and he struggled to process the news.

  • Every time she sees a police car, it hits her in the pit of her stomach because of that old fear.

  • The news hit in the pit of her stomach.

  • When I heard the verdict, it hit in the pit of my stomach.

  • The announcement of layoffs hit him in the pit of his stomach, and he struggled to process the news.

  • Every time she sees a police car, it hits her in the pit of her stomach because of that old fear.

  • When I heard the accident had happened, it hit in the pit of my stomach and I felt sick.

Synonyms

to hit
vshit in the pit of someone's stomach
∞ 2.8

To suddenly make someone feel a strong emotion

is a sudden physical stomach fear rather than a general strong effect
to hit like a ton of bricks
vshit in the pit of someone's stomach
  • Informal
1 8.0

To feel a sudden strong shock or surprise

is a sudden shock felt physically as fear in the stomach
to hit like a tidal wave
vshit in the pit of someone's stomach
7.3

To suddenly feel a very strong emotion that you cannot control

is a sudden gut shock felt as fear rather than a gradual flood

Antonyms

to calm
962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

comfort
319 1.0

Things people say or do to make someone feel less worried

How Shocking

to terrify
148 3.2
hit in the pit of someone's stomach
9.5
to unsettle
7 4.9
to surprise
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

hit in the pit of someone's stomach main

Morphology

hit + in + the + pit + of + someone's + stomach

The meaning is directly compositional: 'hit' (a sudden strong effect) + location 'in the pit of someone's stomach' (a specific spot in the belly) yields the image of a sudden, strongly felt sensation in the stomach. This bodily-metaphor for shock or anxiety is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Hit in the pit of someone's stomach comes from the image of a sudden hit or punch to the empty place just below your chest, the pit of your stomach, where you feel a sharp, sick feeling. So when bad news hits you like that, you feel sudden 'fear' or 'shock' in your body.