cut to the quick

idiom

: to cause severe hurt or upset
Their criticism cut to the quick.

Examples of cut to the quick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When the emotional Moon snaps at perfectionist Venus at 11:24 am EDT, criticisms can cut to the quick and injure our feelings. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024 The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The absurdity of this moment cut to the quick of America's nuclear project. Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023 Both know each other’s triggers and Domont’s prickly screenplay has plenty of barbs that cut to the quick. Thomas Page, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023 When such stars finally leave us, the news can cut to the quick. Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 24 Apr. 2021

Dictionary Entries Near cut to the quick

Cite this Entry

“Cut to the quick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cut%20to%20the%20quick. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!