sorer; sorest
1
a
: causing emotional pain or distress
a sore subject
b
: physically tender (as from overuse or injury) : feeling or affected by pain : achy
sore muscles
limped on a sore leg
felt sore all over
2
: attended by difficulties, hardship, or exertion
soreness
noun
1
: a localized sore spot on the body
especially
: one (such as an ulcer) with the tissues ruptured or abraded and usually with infection
2
: a source of pain or vexation : affliction
Examples of sore in a Sentence
Adjective
a dog limping on a sore leg
The patient has a sore throat.
That's a sore subject to bring up.
The discussion touched on a sore spot.
My neighbor is sore at me.
Are you still sore about what happened last night?
Noun
He has a sore on his lip.
Adverb
I was sore afraid we'd never make it home.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Rui Hachimura missed his first start of the season for the Lakers with a sore groin.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
More Common Ways Herpes Spreads Herpes spreads through direct contact with a sore or through viral shedding (the release of an active virus) from the skin, saliva, or genital fluids, even without a visible sore.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 26 Dec. 2025
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025
He was originally injured in Week 1 against Seattle, playing start to finish and woke up the next morning sore.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sore
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Justin Herbert’s left hand was broken, his left arm bandaged, his right knee wrapped and sore.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Rui Hachimura missed his first start of the season for the Lakers with a sore groin.
—CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Noun
And my back is also a little sore after the kids practiced their best wrestler moves on me.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
More Common Ways Herpes Spreads Herpes spreads through direct contact with a sore or through viral shedding (the release of an active virus) from the skin, saliva, or genital fluids, even without a visible sore.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 26 Dec. 2025
Adverb
The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments in September in the case of a man who entered a hospital with COVID-19 in January 2022, developed an infection from a bed sore and died that March.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025
He was originally injured in Week 1 against Seattle, playing start to finish and woke up the next morning sore.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sore
Cite this Entry
“Sore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sore. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sore
1 of 3 adjective
ˈsō(ə)r 
ˈsȯ(ə)r
sorer; sorest
1
a
: causing pain or distress
a sore subject
b
: full of pain : tender
sore muscles
c
: hurt or red and swollen so as to be or seem painful
sore runny eyes
2
: accompanied by difficulties, hardship, or exertion
in a sore situation
3
: angry sense 1a
my friend is sore at me
soreness
noun
sore
2 of 3 noun1
: a sore spot on the body
especially
: one (as an ulcer) with the tissues broken and usually infected
2
: a cause of pain : affliction
sore
3 of 3 adverb
: sorely
Medical Definition
sore
1 of 2 adjective
sorer; sorest
: causing, characterized by, or affected with pain : painful
sore muscles
a sore wound
sorely
adverb
soreness
noun
sore
2 of 2 noun
: a localized sore spot on the body
especially
: one (as an ulcer) with the tissues ruptured or abraded and usually with infection
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