as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
that old sourpuss must spend all his time making sure no one traipses across his lawn
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Recent Examples of sourpuss
The Republicans sat like stubborn sourpusses eager for the 81-year-old president to stumble.
—
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Four generations on, the Grinch’s humble roots on the page as a black-and-white sourpuss, looking down on Who-ville and rueing the impending town feast, have become a Christmas cottage industry.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
The suggestion turns me into Schrödinger's sourpuss: neither angry nor disappointed but a superposition of both.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
Even a sourpuss like Heifetz let his hair down madly dashing through the finale like a child’s first moments at Disneyland.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2019
Reeves shoulders the dual roles of twin brothers with markedly divergent personalities: peevish sourpuss John and sweet-natured James, who is deep into a losing battle with AIDS.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
According to the Washington Post, a jury awarded famed sourpuss Grumpy Cat $710,000 in damages on Monday, settling a lawsuit that began in 2015 between the cat’s company and the Grenade beverage company.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE.com, 25 Jan. 2018
To most Internet users, Grumpy Cat - the feline with a furry frown - is a minor celebrity that capitalized on the popularity of memes in 2012 as a perpetual sourpuss.
—The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Four generations on, the Grinch’s humble roots on the page as a black-and-white sourpuss, looking down on Who-ville and rueing the impending town feast, have become a Christmas cottage industry.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
The suggestion turns me into Schrödinger's sourpuss: neither angry nor disappointed but a superposition of both.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
Even a sourpuss like Heifetz let his hair down madly dashing through the finale like a child’s first moments at Disneyland.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2019
Reeves shoulders the dual roles of twin brothers with markedly divergent personalities: peevish sourpuss John and sweet-natured James, who is deep into a losing battle with AIDS.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
According to the Washington Post, a jury awarded famed sourpuss Grumpy Cat $710,000 in damages on Monday, settling a lawsuit that began in 2015 between the cat’s company and the Grenade beverage company.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE.com, 25 Jan. 2018
To most Internet users, Grumpy Cat - the feline with a furry frown - is a minor celebrity that capitalized on the popularity of memes in 2012 as a perpetual sourpuss.
—The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sourpuss
Noun
-
Appetizer options include mini crab cakes and salmon bites, served alongside an assortment of specialty cocktails to wash it all down.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
-
See it In Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, fishers caught four crab-eating frogs, Fejervarya moodiei, marking the first record of this species in the province.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Recognize Quieter Customers Celebrate the non-complainers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since 2020, the center has cared for 16 mountain lions as well as thousands of other wild animals from baby songbirds to coyotes to bears.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t let kids run away from the bear.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Then there's the Trickstuff Maxima four-piston front and rear brakes, I9 Hydra 2 hubs and Cane Creek printed titanium cranks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Seen through a contemporary lens, Lee feels like a guy who’s one or two degrees away from a QAnon crank, except there’s a pure, humanistic engine in him.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Academy loves a movie star, and the veteran actor brings charm and humor to what could have been a throwaway curmudgeon role.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
As a boss, Canby was exceptionally kind and protective, a joyful curmudgeon.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In an amusing touch for viewers who can recognize Baker and know his craft, his character is a grump who has nothing but criticism for the Halloween décor.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
-
To the detriment of the proceedings late in the second act, there is a wad of exposition gristle that brings things full stop in the form of a labored revelation of why Diamond is such a grump and perhaps maybe won’t be one in the future.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sourpuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sourpuss. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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