1
general::
Phrase(s): a smack in the face
Fig. something that will humiliate someone, often when it is considered deserved; an insult. • Being rejected by Jane was a real smack in the face for Tom, who thought she was fond of him. • Meg thought she was the best-qualified candidate for the job, and not getting it was a smack in the face.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs