English

Noun

sore point ‎(plural sore points)

1. (idiomatic) A state of affairs, action, or belief which is an enduring basis for disagreement or dissatisfaction.
   • 1871–72, George Eliot, Middlemarch, Chapter 18:

     The affair of the chaplaincy remained a sore point in his memory as a case in which this petty medium of Middlemarch had been too strong for him.

   • 1911, Jack London, Adventure, ch. 6:

     It is a sore point with me, this being told what I am to do or not do by you self-constituted lords of creation.

   • 2003 Oct. 27, Adam Zagorin and Scott MacLeod , "So Who's Talking To Iran?," Time:

     [T]he talks have touched on Iran's suspected nuclear-weapons program, its sponsorship of terrorism and other sore points.

Synonyms

• bone of contention, bone to pick, point of contention

References

• sore point at OneLook Dictionary Search