ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hit too close to home

idiom
Meaning

To occur too close for comfort; to happen dangerously or uncomfortably near.


Examples
SIMPLE

That joke hit too close to home for me.

CONTEXTUAL

When the movie showed a family losing their house, it hit too close to home for my friend.

COMPLEX

The politician avoided the question about corruption, sensing that the reporter's inquiry hit too close to home for his own comfort.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bring home

    To earn (money).

  2. 02

    bring home the bacon

    To have employment which provides remuneration to satisfy the basic needs of oneself and one's family.

  3. 03

    broken home

    A home in which the parents have separated or divorced.

  4. 04

    charity begins at home

    One should help the people closest to oneself before thinking of helping others.

  5. 05

    close enough for government work

    Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.

  6. 06

    close in on

    To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.

  7. 07

    close on the heels of

    Near in time or place; very close.

  8. 08

    close one eye

    to look the other way, to deliberately ignore or overlook (a mistake or transgression).

Last updated April 17, 2026