Sour

/saʊər/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to turn sour; to spoil.

The milk began to sour after being left out for too long.

adjective

having a harsh or unpleasant quality.

The sour sound of the alarm jolted everyone awake.

having an acidic taste or smell; like that of vinegar or lemons.

The sour lemon made my mouth pucker.

in a bad mood or unfriendly; irritable.

She had a sour expression on her face when she heard the news.

From Old English 'sūre', related to the German 'sauer' and Dutch 'zuur'.

sour grapes

A term used to describe pretending to despise something one cannot have.

sour mood

A state of being irritable or unfriendly.

sour note

An unpleasant or unwelcome remark or feeling.

sour taste

A feeling of disappointment or resentment.

acerbic

Sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper or tone.

tart

Sharp to the taste; acid or sour.

bilious

Affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting; ill-tempered.

vinegary

Having a sharp, strong acid taste.

Sourpuss

She's such a sourpuss; she never smiles.

Sour face

He walked in with a sour face after hearing the news.