strike a chord

Definitions

1. 1

   To elicit a significant reaction, especially one which is favorable or sympathetic.

   • [T]his brand of ecstatic meditation, shared by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, has struck a chord with record-buyers, and works such as "The Protecting Veil" (1989) for cello and strings have achieved cult status and huge sales on disc.
   • Protests began May 15 and spread to cities across the country, striking a chord with hundreds of thousands fed-up with the wage cuts and tax hikes.
   • The photos struck a chord online and quickly went viral.
2. 2

   To convey a feeling or meaning which someone personally internalizes and takes to heart.

   • “The movie just struck a chord with him and he started telling us about his story and experience during the Holocaust.”

The neighborhood

• antonymtouch a nerveantonym(s) of “elicit a reaction, especially a favorable or sympathetic one”