English Reference
Idiom idiom

sore point


An action, belief, or state of affairs which is an enduring basis for disagreement or dissatisfaction.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“Money is a sore point for them.”

CONTEXTUAL

“Do not mention his failed business venture, as it remains a sore point for him.”

COMPLEX

“The history of the border dispute is a sore point that continues to complicate diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all points of the compass

    Every direction; everywhere.

  2. 02

    beside the point

    Irrelevant, moot.

  3. 03

    boiling point

    The state of being heated, with high aggression.

  4. 04

    brownie point

    Credit or praise for good work or a good deed, often for the express purpose of currying favor.

  5. 05

    get the point

    To understand; to interpret correctly.

  6. 06

    get to the point

    To state (something) directly; as opposed to in a long-winded way.

  7. 07

    labour the point

    To continue to discuss or explain something excessively or repetitively to the point that it may bore or annoy the listener.

  8. 08

    make a point

    To argue or promote an idea.

Last updated August 10, 2026