sore Idiom

a sight for sore eyes

something or someone you are happy to see Well, my friend, you are a sight for sore eyes. Good to see you!

sight for sore eyes

(See a sight for sore eyes)

sore loser

someone who gets angry when they lose He is a sore loser when he doesn

stick out like a sore thumb

not fit or blend, look out of place The ugly painting stuck out like a sore thumb in the art gallery.

touch a sore spot

Idiom(s): touch a sore spot AND touch a sore point

Theme: SENSITIVE

to refer to a sensitive matter that will upset someone.
• I seem to have touched a sore spot. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.
• When you talk to him, avoid talking about money. It's best not to touch a sore point if possible.

touch a sore point

Like a bear with a sore head

(UK) If someone's like a bear with a sore head, they complain a lot and are unhappy about something.

Open old sores

When a sore is almost healed, and if a person rips or tears it open, it is way of preventing the healing process and further aggravating the pain. This phrase, metaphorically suggests, to revive or reopen a quarrel or enmity which was almost forgotten.

sight for sore eyes|eyes|sight|sore|sore eyes

n. phr., informal A welcome sight. After our long, dusty hike, the pond was a sight for sore eyes. "Jack! You're a sight for sore eyes!"

sore spot|point|sore|sore point|spot

n. A weak or sensitive part; a subject or thing about which someone becomes angry or upset easily. Don't ask Uncle John why his business failed; it's a sore spot with him.
Compare: WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES.

stick out like a sore thumb|sore thumb|stick|stick

v. phr. To be conspicuous; be different from the rest. When the foreign student was placed in an advanced English grammar class by mistake, it was no wonder that he stuck out like a sore thumb.

sight for sore eyes, a

sight for sore eyes, a
One whom it is a relief or joy to see, as in Linda, who had not seen him in 15 years, told him he was a sight for sore eyes. This idiom implies an appearance so welcome that it heals ailing eyes. [First half of 1700s]

sore

sore
In addition to the idiom beginning with sore, also see sight for sore eyes, a; stick out.

sore point, a

sore point, a
A sensitive or annoying issue, as in Don't mention diets to Elsie; it's a sore point with her. This idiom was first recorded as a sore place in 1690.