as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
that old sourpuss must spend all his time making sure no one traipses across his lawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 sourpuss
The Republicans sat like stubborn sourpusses eager for the 81-year-old president to stumble.
—
Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
More than a few folks, including one sourpuss in Toronto, have assumed the name refers to how fast your soup arrives once ordered, but that didn’t make sense to me.
—Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2021
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
More than a few folks, including one sourpuss in Toronto, have assumed the name refers to how fast your soup arrives once ordered, but that didn’t make sense to me.
—Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2021
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
-
Choose from a variety of wild Alaskan crab legs or domestic crab claws.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
9 May 2025
-
Their reception included several tributes to Ms. Dennie’s Caribbean roots and Maryland upbringing, including music from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and crab cakes made with Old Bay Seasoning.—
Shivani Vora,
New York Times,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Officials also noted a dog was recently killed by a bear near a person, and there were signs that a bear had entered the home itself.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2025
-
Visitors should stay at least 25 yards away from any animal and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and never feed any wildlife.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Fittingly, McNally’s ascent began with the crank of star-making machinery.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
But af Klint might have just as easily faded into obscurity, her work forgotten, her spiritual messages dismissed as a crank’s.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The comedy community, meanwhile, was shocked, too, because Hoffman is mostly known as a curmudgeon.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Amid Baldwin’s chaotic home life with his seven young children, his wife Hilaria Baldwin tries to depict him as a lovable curmudgeon who’s often misunderstood because of his famously volatile personality.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sourpuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sourpuss. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share