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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Unfortunately, things quickly sour between the women after Hazel purposely sabotages Nella, throwing her under the bus during a conversation regarding the racist novel. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Sep. 2023 The Moors gave the Spanish a taste of sweet and sour, a flavor combination that persisted across Europe through the Middle Ages. G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 But if the world’s second largest economy continues to turn sour, things could start to look uglier for them too. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2023 The mood among Grayscale investors turned sour, however, toward the end of that year as crypto’s latest bubble burst, and as the GBTC discount to NAV widened. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 17 Aug. 2023 The guests may be living la dolce vita when the new season of Below Deck Mediterranean heads to the Italian Riviera, but Captain Sandy Yawn and her crew have to deal with some sour situations on board. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023 That’s what always leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 29 Aug. 2023 Some popular flavor options include fruity varieties like strawberry, watermelon, or mango, while others offer unique blends like tropical punch or sour apple. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Aug. 2023 The piece, with music by Celia Cruz, digs into ancestral wisdom about a plant known for healing and sweetening that later turned sour as an industry. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023
Noun
Vice Beer, an east Vancouver brewery and taproom that crafts aggressive IPAs along with smoothie sours, pastry stouts and lagers, on Thursday will open A Little Vice, a cozy but colorfully cool taproom in a resurgent downtown Vancouver. oregonlive, 12 July 2023 That means carrying light and dark beers, sours, lagers, fruit beers and more inside the small taproom. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2023 Wash it all down with a Chilean pisco sour or bottle of local wine. Nora Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2023 Buffalo Trace Single Barrel, an imperial stout aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels ($13 for two 12-ounce cans); Peanut Butter Porter ($17 for four pack of 16-ounce cans); and Big Mama's Imperial Cherry Pie, an imperial sour ($17 for four pack of 16-ounce cans). Chelsey Lewis, Journal Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2022 Steeped in orchids, ancient ruins, and Pisco sours, Peru (and its Incan citadel in the Andes, Machu Picchu) is a destination for the most adventurous traveler. Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2023 Beverages lean classic with martinis, white Negronis and a house sour, plus aperitifs, beer and wine. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023 Located in the western reaches of North Carolina, this scenic city is brimming with top-tier breweries, with destinations like Hi-Wire and Wicked Weed earning widespread acclaim for their mouth-puckering sours—but incredible beer is far from the only asset that’s keeping the tourists coming. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 There will be 65 kegs of ales on tap that range from light sour to heavily fruited. John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2023
Verb
Tensions between the two countries soured significantly in 2020 after a deadly brawl in the Galwan Valley, close to Aksai Chin, an area controlled by China but claimed by both countries. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 31 Aug. 2023 The relationship between Nielsen and the networks, long fraught, has been souring for the past few years. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023 Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security. Reuters, NBC News, 21 Aug. 2023 Underlying the good times, though, is a sense that the economy could still sour — even if not as soon, or as dramatically as previously feared. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023 But their partnership soured after Mr. Siegel became vexed by Warner’s extravagant corporate culture and invoked an earlier agreement between Warner and Chris-Craft that delayed the Time-Warner merger until 1989. Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023 Taylor's agent subsequently made comments suggesting the relationship between the running back and the franchise had soured. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 29 July 2023 When the startup market began souring last year, many investors shifted to small-dollar bets on ventures in their earliest stages. Angus Loten, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2023 But their relationship soured amid negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country’s military as part of plans to restore civilian rule. Celine Alkhaldi, CNN, 9 Aug. 2023 See More

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 25 Sep. 2023.

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

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