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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cynical

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Related Words

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

Walmart has heard your cries, as this early Labor Day deal is a treat for sore eyes. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 After seeing minimal, if any, improvement in his sore right hip, Buxton was placed on the 10-day IL. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Adverb

Toward the end, people grab partners and race around the ballroom in a gallop through a tunnel of arms, an exhilarating experience—especially in heels—that leaves the heart pumping and the quads sore for days. — Valeriya Safronova, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026 Guys come up sore all the time. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026

Noun

At Watches and Wonders Geneva in April, pricing was a sore yet all-too-recurring subject—for brands and collectors alike. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 29 June 2026 The lumpectomy and the removal of several lymph nodes, and then the second surgery, had left her sore and bruised. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 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

Why would anyone want to do this in a game about an angry, unkillable mutant with claws sharp enough to cut through space-time?

— Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Seehorn carried a heavy load as its lead, playing a sad, angry woman forced to save the world from happiness and the hive mind.

— Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

The film is certainly casting a spell, and whether or not that’s simply cynical (and insidiously effective) marketing doesn’t much matter when you’re caught up in it.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
There’s rom-com-style banter between Alice and her colleague Danny (Scoot McNairy), and cynical mentorship from FBI agent Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who has seen enough to drive her to drink.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adverb

Though Lock and Fleury aren’t Darnold and Kubiak, Wednesday night’s game demonstrated that Seattle is not interested in making terribly many overarching changes from last year’s general offensive approach.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The other might be the terribly limited prospects of people like Miguelito living in Chivilcoy, a town outside Buenos Aires, where the two latter parts of the film is set.

— Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Sep. 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

For the film, Hossain said that Badhon called in her real doctor to inject her during a scene where her character undergoes painful platelet-rich plasma injections.

— Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
And meager pay raises have made rising prices more painful for many.

— Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Online, fans and critics alike left indignant comments on Becky’s social media — dressing her down for presenting as an empowered woman, while welcoming back a penitent Lletget.

— Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
But the Tampa-area English teacher said what qualifies as controversial is constantly evolving, sometimes because of just one indignant parent.

— Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026