sore point
5
5.5
- noun
- Informal
:
tema delicado
- Can you tell this is a sore point for me every year?
I think I'm bringing up a sore point.
- I think I'm bringing up a sore point.
Examples
-
If I'd known it was a sore point, I wouldn't have brought it up.
-
U.S. policy in the Middle East has been a sore point in Indonesia.
Academic text (2003) -
I think it was a sore point for them.
-
This was a sore point between us.
Fiction book (1996) -
It's a sore point with the Hispanic community.
-
Power had been something of a sore point in the U.S.-Canadian relationship.
Academic text (2004) -
This is evidently a sore point between them.
Fiction book (1992) -
Since the first grade, when I got a "Needs Improvement" in the "Following Directions" category of my report card, this criticism has remained a sore point with me.
Fiction book (2002) -
When I broached that with the Seminole Tribe, I quickly learned I had touched a sore point.
Academic text (2009) -
Discussing politics at family gatherings is often a sore point for many people.
Antonyms
How Sensitive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an issue that causes hurt feelings' is directly derivable from combining 'sore' (emotionally hurt) with 'point' (a topic or issue); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a 'point' that is 'sore' or painful to mention. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g., 'punto dolente', 'point sensible') and follows straightforward adjective + noun semantics, making it transparently interpretable.
Etymology
The phrase sore point comes from the idea of a sore spot or point on the body that hurts when you touch it. So, calling an issue a sore point means it will cause 'hurt feelings' or 'discomfort' when people talk about it.