1
: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids and is characteristic of lemon juice
sour pickles
compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, salty entry 1 sense 1b, sweet entry 1 sense 1, umami entry 2
2
a(1)
: having the acid taste or smell of or as if of fermentation : turned
sour milk
(2)
: of or relating to fermentation
b
: smelling or tasting of decay : rancid, rotten
sour breath
c(1)
: bad, wrong
a project gone sour
(2)
: hostile, disenchanted
went sour on Marxism
3
b
c
: not up to the usual, expected, or standard quality or pitch
4
: acid in reaction
used especially of soil
5
: containing malodorous sulfur compounds
used especially of petroleum products
sourish adjective
sourly adverb
sourness noun

sour

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: something sour
… they assimilated many Anglo-American sweet pickles and began adding more sugar to their sours.William Woys Weaver
b
: the taste sensation produced chiefly by acids compare bitter entry 2 sense 1b, salty entry 2, sweet entry 3 sense 2, umami entry 1
2
: a cocktail consisting of a liquor (such as whiskey), lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes ice

sour

3 of 3

verb

soured; souring; sours

intransitive verb

: to become sour

transitive verb

: to make sour

Examples of sour in a Sentence

Adjective The milk had turned sour. He made a sour face. Verb Her disposition has soured in recent years. Jealousy has soured their relationship. His experiences have soured him. The team's victory was soured by an injury to one of their best players.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Their dallying tartness charts an ongoing conversation on the renowned love affair of sour and spice in Mexican cuisine — one worth celebrating. Andrea Aliseda, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024 Losing seven of the final 10 regular season games, the Mercury head into the playoffs with a sour taste that will only be eradicated with a first-round upset. Shane Young, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Noun
Sip on this: Seaboard brews nearly every style of beer from Mexican lagers to sours to German-style beers. Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024 Snake River Sour Wyoming Whiskey’s take on the classic sour uses both lime and lemon juice for a tart kick, balanced by a smooth egg white texture. Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
Verb
The rising cost of beer has also soured customers’ taste. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2024 Soaring credit card rates and inflation have contributed to the economic pinch many everyday Americans have felt over the past few years as household budgets strained and views of the economy soured. Ivana Saric, Axios, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sour 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English sūr; akin to Old High German sūr sour, Lithuanian sūrus salty

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sour was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sour

Cite this Entry

“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sour

1 of 3 adjective
1
: having or being an acid or tart taste that is one of the four taste sensations compare bitter sense 1, salt entry 3 sense 1b, sweet entry 1 sense 1b
2
a
: having become acid through spoiling
sour milk
b
: indicating decay : putrid
a sour odor
3
: unpleasant, disagreeable
a sour look
played a sour note
4
: acid in reaction
sour soil
sourly adverb
sourness noun

sour

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: something sour
b
: the basic taste sensation produced by acid stimuli
2
: a cocktail made with liquor, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes soda water

sour

3 of 3 verb
: to become or make sour

Medical Definition

sour

1 of 2 adjective
: causing, characterized by, or being the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids compare bitter, salt entry 2 sense 2, sweet entry 1
sourness noun

sour

2 of 2 noun
: the primary taste sensation produced by acid stimuli

More from Merriam-Webster on sour

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!