kick in the teeth

Definitions

A humiliating insult or instance of bad treatment, especially when one is expecting friendship or in need of support; a sudden and unexpected setback; a strong rebuff.

idiomatic

Examples

“This kick⟳ in the teeth, brutal under any circumstances, is more so, given Matoussem Ramoud's gentle, trusting nature and his infatuation with America.”

“King had remarked after the bill failed that a lot of people had lost faith in America; Roy Wilkins had said, “This defeat⟳ was a kick⟳ in the teeth to the civil rights effort.””

“She had found her niche by being truant from school, giving people a bad time, and basically giving her parents' strict moral values a good, strong kick⟳ in the teeth.”

CEFR level