strike a chord

Verb

strike a chord (third-person singular simple present strikes a chord, present participle striking a chord, simple past and past participle struck a chord)

1. (idiomatic) 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.1997 September 13, Geoffrey Norris, “Holy minimalist who touched a chord”, in The Telegraph, UK, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2015
   • 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.2011 June 19, Harold Heckle, “Spaniards march to protest high unemployment, political leadership”, in Toronto Star, Canada, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2015

   Synonyms:

   touch a chord

2. (idiomatic) 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.”2015 August 4, Nicholas Keung, “Holocaust survivors make sure those in need 'not forgotten'”, in Toronto Star, Canada, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2025

   Synonyms:

   hit home