hit a nerve

It means to say something about a sensitive topic that makes someone feel upset or uncomfortable.

“pogoditi nekoga u živac”; “piknuti/bocnuti” nekoga

When the boss joked about his mistakes, it hit a nerve with Tom, who was already feeling overworked and underappreciated.

The comedian really hit a nerve making political jokes with the very conservative audience.

When the teacher said some people weren’t trying hard enough, it hit a nerve with Mia, who had been staying up late every night to study.