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Cut to the quick

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Cut to the quick: to wound someone's feelings deeply and suddenly; "the quick" is living flesh beneath the nail, making this a visceral bodily image for emotional pain that hits the core.

Detailed Definition
Cut to the quick, an idiomatic phrase meaning to wound deeply with sharp emotional pain, often through criticism or betrayal that strikes at one's core vulnerabilities, heightens in poetry the intensity of relational fractures, psychological injury, and the lasting scars of harsh words or actions. This expression enables poets to convey visceral hurt in dramatic scenes of confrontation, loss, or rejection, exploring themes of sensitivity, resilience after wounding, power of language to harm or heal, and the complex interplay of intent and impact, thereby deepening emotional authenticity and reader empathy in verses centered on human connection and conflict.
Example
Example in poetry:
Emotional hurt: "His cruel words cut to the quick, exposing raw vulnerabilities."; Poignant: "Criticism that cuts to the quick often reveals our deepest truths."; Educational: "Heightens betrayal in relationship poetry."; "The rejection cut to the quick of her confidence."
Additional Notes
Deep emotional wound, heightens betrayal in relationship poetry. Educational on vulnerability. Suggests pain reaching the core of being. Use in confessional or dramatic monologues. Contrasts with superficial hurt. Enhances emotional intensity. Pair with visceral imagery (blood, bone). Study Sylvia Plath for raw expressions of emotional pain.
Also Known As
Cut to the bone Hit a nerve Touch a raw nerve
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