as in to anger
to cause to change from friendly or loving to unfriendly or uncaring
a misunderstanding that soured their relationship for a long time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in acidic
causing or characterized by the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids
the sour candy made our mouths all wrinkly inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
you'll have to face up to the sour truth of the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
things started off well, but now it's all gone sour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sour
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
Trump is unhappy with Musk’s outburst, but Republicans are downplaying the effect on their agenda bill
Trump confirmed their relationship has soured, with Musk repeatedly blasting the president’s sweeping domestic agenda bill in recent days and a public fight on social media on Thursday.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Dating back to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in the late 1800s, Taylor recommends using Bing, sour or Rainier cherry varieties for the boozy dessert.
—Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour
Verb
Their initial encounter is soured by Oliver, who teaches literature at a university, calling his great great great great aunt’s oeuvre overrated and limited in scope.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
Trump is unhappy with Musk’s outburst, but Republicans are downplaying the effect on their agenda bill
Trump confirmed their relationship has soured, with Musk repeatedly blasting the president’s sweeping domestic agenda bill in recent days and a public fight on social media on Thursday.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Adjective
The exhibit became the main discussion topic amongst his peers and Claude, scowling and sour about missing it, chewed his lower lip waiting patiently for the subject to change.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Dating back to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in the late 1800s, Taylor recommends using Bing, sour or Rainier cherry varieties for the boozy dessert.
—Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sour
Verb
-
Cambodia angered by neighbor’s new restrictions on border crossings PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's government on Tuesday accused Thailand of escalating border tensions by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 June 2025
-
As a mom, I’m angered at the existence of so many abusers who lure children through the internet.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The finish is bright, pleasantly acidic, and long lasting.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
-
The finished dish is bright, acidic, and perfectly seasoned.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some of these vitamins have quality issues, like a fishy or unpleasant taste.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
-
Diana, for example, when anything unpleasant was said in her presence, would slowly blink her eyes in an incredible act of denial.—
Rosemary Counter,
Time,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
In April 2021, the European Commission proposed a draft of the Artificial Intelligence Act, aimed at introducing a system of AI classification based on risks to users (minimal, limited, high, unacceptable).—
Olena Orliuk,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
Anything less is unacceptable to the Bosteros, as Boca’s fans are known.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
In ever more apocalyptic language, Trump has sought to unify his MAGA movement with strongman pledges to defend Americans from millions of hostile foreigners seeking to storm the country and to root out enemy aliens within.—
Julia Preston,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Oct. 2024
-
The film follows a ragtag group of actors (played by Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, among other stars) from an ‘80s sci-fi series who aliens unexpectedly abduct during a convention appearance.—
Matt Juul,
BostonGlobe.com,
7 July 2023
Adjective
-
The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
-
Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the two mainstays of the game are far from bitter rivals.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
-
Pashinyan was the focus of protests last year by tens of thousands of demonstrators after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals.—
Avet Demourian,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
The end of season 2 turned the tables on the meek Ada and domineering Agnes when Agnes lost her fortune thanks to her son Oscar (Blake Ritson) trusting the wrong people.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 June 2025
-
Effective leaders recognize that different doesn’t mean wrong.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share