slap in the face

slap in the face

A set phrase used to describe words or actions that have offended or otherwise upset someone. It was a real slap in the face when she got promoted over me, especially after the amount of work I did on that last project.
See also: face, slap
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

slap in the face

an insult; an act that causes disappointment or discouragement. Losing the election was a slap in the face for the club president. Failing to get into a good college was a slap in the face to Tim after his years of study.
See also: face, slap
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

slap in the face

A sharp rebuke or rebuff, as in Being criticized in front of my staff was a real slap in the face, or We thought it quite a slap in the face when they returned our letter unopened. The figurative use of this term, which can also refer to a literal blow, dates from the late 1800s.
See also: face, slap
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a slap in the face

COMMON A slap in the face is an action or remark which insults and upsets you. The union leader described the payouts to both bosses as `a slap in the face for all the hard-working staff who now find themselves out of work'. They promoted a colleague who had been with the company for less time than Paola and it was a real slap in the face for her.
See also: face, slap
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a slap in the face (or eye)

an unexpected rejection or affront.
1996 Independent The move was seen as another slap in the face for the monarchy in Australia.
See also: face, slap
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a slap in the ˈface

an action that seems to be intended as a deliberate insult to somebody: The bank refused to lend her any more money, which was a real slap in the face for her. OPPOSITE: give somebody/yourself a pat on the back
See also: face, slap
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a slap in the face

n. an insult; a rejection. That remark was a real slap in the face.
See also: face, slap
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • a slap in the face
  • a smack in the face
  • smack in the face
  • slap on
  • if you don't mind me saying (so)
  • if you don't mind me/my saying so...
  • if you don't mind my saying (so)
  • (I'm) just saying
  • turkey slap
References in periodicals archive
The picture also is a slap in the face to a president and attorney general who permitted and later tried to justify the behavior it depicted.
The Elian Gonzalez Raid Was Illegal
A good slap in the face could hardly do his ugly mug any harm!
Nuala McKeever column: Slap Happy
"It was a slap in the face," Morfin Vargas told THE NEW AMERICAN.
Latino immigration reformers: ignoring conventional wisdom, Americans of Hispanic descent are at the forefront in the battle against illegal immigration