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
-
Take, for example, a bowl of artichoke purée poured around a hillock of tender Jonah crab.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Long before food trucks, enterprising business types began selling devil crab on-the-go from their motor scooters and bicycles equipped with insulated carriers.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The individual, who lives less than half a mile from where a bear stayed under another person’s home for six weeks, did not want to be identified or disclose their exact location.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Unfortunately, California’s laws are more like gummy bears than bear traps, barely a slap on the wrist compared to federal and Florida anti-brokering laws that come with the threat of stiff financial penalties and serious prison time.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On Sundays after church, my family would pile into our crank-window GMC truck and head to Kentucky Fried Chicken.—
Annie Joy Williams,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2026
-
This old-fashioned instrument relied on a hand crank, as well as an outside metal canister that contained ice and rock salt to freeze its contents of milk, cream, sugar, and mix-ins.—
Joey Skladany,
Southern Living,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Finally, and with apologies to the late Andy Rooney (the greatest of all curmudgeons), happy New Year, everyone!—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
-
At first, the group appears to dismiss its singular curmudgeon.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Dec. 2025
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 15 Jan. 2026.
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