SORE Synonyms: 435 Similar and Opposite Words

sore 1 of 3

adjective

ˈsȯr

Definition of sore

as in aching

causing or feeling bodily pain my legs are sore after that long walk yesterday

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in angry

feeling or showing anger promise not to get sore if I tell you what I really think of your new hairstyle?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cynical

having or showing deep-seated resentment he's been sore ever since she insulted him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sore

2 of 3

adverb

as in terribly

to a great degree I was sore afraid we'd never make it home

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sore

3 of 3

noun

as in swelling

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Dissimilar Words

as in wart

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sore

Adjective

What’s actually opening (and what’s gone) The 300 block of Houston Street, long a sore spot after Reata Restaurant left for the Tower in 2024, may soon show signs of life. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026 But don’t let a sore back prevent you from tackling this gardening task. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 July 2026

Adverb

Guys come up sore all the time. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026 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

Noun

That drop can be attributed to other regions seeing their fatality rates sore, and in Orlando’s slowing in 2024 and reducing in 2026. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2026 As the maggots multiply, the wound becomes an open, rotting sore on the surface of the animal’s skin, sometimes attracting other fly species with the smell of rotting flesh. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sore

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sore

Adjective

The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of aching

Adjective

At first, Jack felt angry to know his Parkinson’s was likely linked to service to his country.

— Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
The Secret Service’s actual procedures turn out to be more like guidelines that can be discarded if the president is sufficiently angry—which, from the standpoint of safeguarding democracy, constitutes a fairly concerning loophole.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

In this cynical age, our local registrars of voters, usually one from each party, remain respected public officials.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
The novel follows Lila Dixon, an acerbic, cynical baseball scout living a dreary and closed-off life in her 30s.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of cynical

Adverb

Unfortunately, decisions aren’t terribly effective today and according to Gartner 72% of executives say that bad decisions are as prevalent as good ones.

— Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Given that humans at OpenAI had decided to turn off some safeguards for the test, some have argued the outcome should not have been terribly surprising.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of terribly

Noun

Without the complication of his father’s political career and (one hopes) without political ambitions of his own, Hunter seems to be expressing something closer to his authentic self, warts and all.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Some blame the faction of party leaders who rallied behind Platner in spite of his warts.

— Julia Terruso, Time, 8 June 2026

Definition of wart

Adjective

In a series of video interludes that break up the performance into acts, Grande plays Peaches, a woman who wants to undergo a procedure to erase her painful memories.

— Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
But any movement that engages her core muscles — bending, turning, stretching — is painful and debilitating.

— Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

But if state Democratic leaders simply chose a new nominee on their own, voters might be indignant.

— Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
The book-club members roundly disliked it, indignant that the character was being driven mad by perimenopause, as if hormone-replacement therapy didn’t exist.

— Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of indignant

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“Sore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sore. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sore

adjective

adverb

noun

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