sour 1 of 2

verb

Definition of sournext
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

sour

2 of 2

adjective

ˈsau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce sour (audio)
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
Verb
For retailers and brands, the implications include direct attacks on their customers that can severely damage the relationship by souring the shopping experience. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 July 2026 Getting traded to the Charlotte Hornets in February apparently was a life-changing experience for White, a good way to reinvigorate some competitive juices that soured a bit during his final days playing for the Chicago Bulls. — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
Adjective
The best tortillas tasted distinctly of corn, with natural sweetness and earthy, toasted notes, while avoiding sour or flat flavors. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 July 2026 The ideal fermentation time varies based on temperature, but when the liquid starts to smell slightly sour, the rice water is considered fermented. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sour
  1. anger
  2. acidic
  3. unpleasant
  4. unacceptable
  5. infuriate
  6. acid
  7. bitter
  8. wrong
Verb
  • However, the cyclops was a son of Poseidon, and this attack angered the sea god.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • News reporting about the new plane’s security deficiencies angered the president and triggered a sprawling leak investigation.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of anger
Adjective
  • How To Care For Onions In Pots Onions prefer well-draining, loamy, and slightly acidic to neutral soil, such as potting soil with compost mixed in.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 July 2026
  • The way the soil responds will give you an idea of whether your soil is acidic, alkaline, or neutral.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • While some may be looking for more reasons to eat cookies, many more are simply hesitating to eat salads and other fresh produce amid a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, known for that unpleasant symptom, among others.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Principal owner John Middleton recently discussed the challenging decision to dismiss longtime manager Rob Thomson, admitting that terminating employees remains the most difficult and unpleasant aspect of his executive role, even after decades.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Critics say such plans are wholly unacceptable because light pollution from so many large, bright satellites would radically degrade views of the night sky.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
  • For the union, this is unacceptable and yet another issue their members are facing.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Verb
  • Speaking to them on the phone is infuriating since most of the conversation is about what’s going on with Kaden.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • A week before Wembanyama agreed to that contract, the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the division-rival Philadelphia 76ers for a surprisingly meager package, which infuriated much of their fanbase.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of infuriate
Adjective
  • Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with an acid attack on six women in Jersey City, New Jersey, last month, public safety officials said.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • Over several decades, hundreds and hundreds of tons — hundreds of thousands of gallons — of acid waste from the pesticide DDT and even DDT itself were dumped into the ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula and near Catalina Island.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • More than a month into the start of the tournament, one Italian friend still feels bitter over the fate of his beloved Azzurri, who didn’t qualify this year.
    — Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Sutton’s bitter lesson is applicable to biology because so much of the human body — not just the mind — is still beyond our understanding.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of bitter
Adjective
  • First, the medals were the wrong colour; this was the ‘Bronze Final’ after all.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • That turned out to be wrong for a meaningful minority of them, whose brains were generating signals our methods were not sensitive enough to pick up.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
Definition of wrong

Phrases Containing sour

Browse Nearby Words

soupy
sour
source
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sour. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sour

Nglish: Translation of sour for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All