as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
that old sourpuss must spend all his time making sure no one traipses across his lawn
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Recent Examples of sourpuss
The Republicans sat like stubborn sourpusses eager for the 81-year-old president to stumble.
—
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Four generations on, the Grinch’s humble roots on the page as a black-and-white sourpuss, looking down on Who-ville and rueing the impending town feast, have become a Christmas cottage industry.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
The suggestion turns me into Schrödinger's sourpuss: neither angry nor disappointed but a superposition of both.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
Even a sourpuss like Heifetz let his hair down madly dashing through the finale like a child’s first moments at Disneyland.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2019
Reeves shoulders the dual roles of twin brothers with markedly divergent personalities: peevish sourpuss John and sweet-natured James, who is deep into a losing battle with AIDS.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
According to the Washington Post, a jury awarded famed sourpuss Grumpy Cat $710,000 in damages on Monday, settling a lawsuit that began in 2015 between the cat’s company and the Grenade beverage company.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE.com, 25 Jan. 2018
To most Internet users, Grumpy Cat - the feline with a furry frown - is a minor celebrity that capitalized on the popularity of memes in 2012 as a perpetual sourpuss.
—The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Four generations on, the Grinch’s humble roots on the page as a black-and-white sourpuss, looking down on Who-ville and rueing the impending town feast, have become a Christmas cottage industry.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
The suggestion turns me into Schrödinger's sourpuss: neither angry nor disappointed but a superposition of both.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
Even a sourpuss like Heifetz let his hair down madly dashing through the finale like a child’s first moments at Disneyland.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2019
Reeves shoulders the dual roles of twin brothers with markedly divergent personalities: peevish sourpuss John and sweet-natured James, who is deep into a losing battle with AIDS.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
According to the Washington Post, a jury awarded famed sourpuss Grumpy Cat $710,000 in damages on Monday, settling a lawsuit that began in 2015 between the cat’s company and the Grenade beverage company.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE.com, 25 Jan. 2018
To most Internet users, Grumpy Cat - the feline with a furry frown - is a minor celebrity that capitalized on the popularity of memes in 2012 as a perpetual sourpuss.
—The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sourpuss
Noun
-
People who eat freshwater crab, prawns, frogs, snails and slugs are at greatest risk.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Think jumbo lump crab cakes and goat cheese queso with wild mushrooms.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
-
If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The stop-motion short tells the simplistic tale of a bear who comes under the care of a maternal (paternal?—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The two bear cubs can be seen exploring the crawl space — and making a ton of noise — with their mom in the background.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wearing a protective mask to avoid inhaling the dust, fill a hand-crank or push rotary spreader with pelletized lime.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In 2018, the state legislature passed a law that outlawed the possession and sale of bump stocks, along with trigger cranks and devices that make the gun operate like an automatic weapon.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Stressed out, intense, curmudgeons – no, thank you.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe people are curmudgeons and just don't like seeing their communities change.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The iconic Christmas grump, who has become a seasonal favorite at Universal theme parks for his lack of holiday spirit and acerbic banter, initially greeted the little girl in his signature gruff delivery.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Then again, being a grump is Payton's brand.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sourpuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sourpuss. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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