Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense sours, present participle souring, past tense, past participle soured
1. adjective
Something that is sour has a sharp, unpleasant taste like the taste of a lemon.
The stewed apple was sour even with honey.
Synonyms: sharp, acid, tart, bitter More Synonyms of sour
2. See also sweet and sour
3. adjective
Sour milk is milk that has an unpleasant taste because it is no longer fresh.
4. adjective
Someone who is sour is bad-tempered and unfriendly.
She made a sour face in his direction.
Police, increasingly sour in mood, wonder aloud why the situation has been allowedto deteriorate.
sourlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
'Leave my mother out of it,' he said sourly.
5. adjective
If a situation or relationship turns sour or goes sour, it stops being enjoyable or satisfactory.
Everything turned sour for me there.
Even the European dream is beginning to turn sour.
Their songs are filled with tales of love gone sour.
6. verb
If a friendship, situation, or attitude sours or if something sours it, it becomes less friendly, enjoyable, or hopeful.
If anything sours the relationship, it is likely to be real differences in theirworld-views. [VERB noun]
Her mood soured a little. [VERB]
Synonyms: embitter, disenchant, alienate, envenom More Synonyms of sour
7.
See sour grapes
More Synonyms of sour
sour in British English
(ˈsaʊə)
adjective
1.
having or denoting a sharp biting taste like that of lemon juice or vinegar
Compare bitter (sense 1)
2.
made acid or bad, as in the case of milk or alcohol, by the action of microorganisms
3.
having a rancid or unwholesome smell
4.
(of a person's temperament) sullen, morose, or disagreeable
5.
(esp of the weather or climate) harsh and unpleasant
6.
disagreeable; distasteful
a sour experience
7.
(of land, etc) lacking in fertility, esp due to excessive acidity
8.
(of oil, gas, or petrol) containing a relatively large amount of sulphur compounds
9. go sour
noun
10.
something sour
11. mainly US
any of several iced drinks usually made with spirits, lemon juice, and ice
a whiskey sour
12.
an acid used in laundering and bleaching clothes or in curing animal skins
verb
13.
to make or become sour
Derived forms
sourish (ˈsourish)
adjective
sourishly (ˈsourishly)
adverb
sourly (ˈsourly)
adverb
sourness (ˈsourness)
noun
Word origin
Old English sūr; related to Old Norse sūrr, Lithuanian suras salty, Old Slavonic syrŭ wet, raw, surovu green, raw, Sanskrit surā brandy
Sour in British English
(sʊə)
noun
a variant spelling of Sur
sour in American English
(saʊr)
adjective
1.
having the sharp, acid taste of lemon juice, vinegar, green fruit, etc.
2.
made acid or rank by or as by fermentation
sour milk
3.
a.
cross, bad-tempered, peevish, morose, etc.
a sour mood
b.
ill-disposed and bitter
sour toward former associates
4.
below what is usual or normal; poor; bad
his game has gone sour
5.
distasteful or unpleasant
6.
gratingly wrong or off pitch
a sour note
7.
excessively acid
said of soil
8.
tainted with sulfur compounds
said of gasoline, etc.
noun
9.
that which is sour; something sour
10. US
a cocktail made with lemon or lime juice, sugar, and, usually, soda water
a whiskey sour
verb transitive, verb intransitive
11.
to make or become sour
the milk will sour, soured on life
SYNONYMY NOTE: sour usually implies an unpleasant sharpness of taste and often connotes fermentationor rancidity [sour milk]; acid suggests a sourness that is normal or natural [a lemon is an acid fruit]; acidulous suggests a slightly sour or acid quality [acidulous spring water]; tart1 suggests a slightly stinging sharpness or sourness and usually connotes that thisis pleasant to the taste [a tart cherry pie]
OPPOSITE: sweet
Derived forms
sourly (ˈsourly)
adverb
sourness (ˈsourness)
noun
Word origin
ME soure < OE sur, akin to Ger sauer, ON sūrr < IE *suro-, sour, salty > Latvian sũrs, salty, bitter
More idioms containing
sour
sour grapes
Examples of 'sour' in a sentence
sour
Others suggested that the friendship might have soured in the middle of last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
What is undeniable is that the mood had already soured internally.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They had been there for three months before the relationship soured.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We did not react well enough to that and that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The dream goes from sour to sweet to sour.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The sweet and sour tastes actually go very well together.
The Sun (2011)
My saucer of milk tasted rather sour.
The Sun (2016)
But since then things have turned increasingly sour.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
When a local was kind the encounter almost always ended on a sour note.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Yet lawyers are seeing increasing numbers of people come to court when relationships turn sour.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This relationship will sour unless you make some major changes.
The Sun (2008)
Serve with the pieces of toasted sourdough and sour cream on the side.
The Sun (2013)
Can you suggest a good way to get it out of him and not sour our friendship?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The mood has soured in the past week.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The relationship soon soured and became acrimonious.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We all have seen him passing microphones and inquiries with a sour face after having to quit a race.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The sauce on the chicken was bland and fruity, a little bit sour.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The long segments are very sweet, with a little sour and the texture is strong.
Smith, Drew Food Watch (1994)
But it's sharp and sour about pop culture and the commercial fight for young hearts and minds.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Garnish with twist of orange peel, sour cherry jellies or a slice of mango and serve with a straw.
The Sun (2013)
Lime's sour juice and tropical, floral flavour complete it.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The apples are sour, but they are used for crab apple jelly, and this tree is one of the ancestors of our sweet apples.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
sour
British English: sour /ˈsaʊə/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is sour has a sharp taste like the taste of a lemon.
The apple was sour.
American English: sour
Arabic: حَامِض
Brazilian Portuguese: azedo
Chinese: 酸的
Croatian: kiseo
Czech: kyselý
Danish: sur
Dutch: zuur
European Spanish: agrio
Finnish: hapan
French: aigre
German: sauer
Greek: ξινός
Italian: agro
Japanese: 酸っぱい
Korean: 신
Norwegian: sur
Polish: kwaśny
European Portuguese: azedo
Romanian: acru
Russian: кислый
Latin American Spanish: agrio
Swedish: sur
Thai: มีรสเปรี้ยว
Turkish: ekşi
Ukrainian: кислий
Vietnamese: chua
British English: sour VERB
If a friendship, situation, or attitude sours or if something sours it, it becomes less friendly, enjoyable, or hopeful.
If anything sours the relationship, it is likely to be real differences in their world-views.
American English: sour
Brazilian Portuguese: azedar
Chinese: 使变糟
European Spanish: deteriorar(se)
French: troubler
German: sich verschlechtern
Italian: inacerbire
Japanese: 悪化させる/悪化する
Korean: 틀어지다
European Portuguese: azedar
Latin American Spanish: deteriorar(se)
All related terms of 'sour'
go sour
to become unfavourable or inharmonious
sour gas
Sour gas is natural gas with a high sulfur content .
sour gum
a cornaceous tree, Nyssa sylvatica, of the eastern US, having glossy leaves, soft wood, and sour purplish fruits
sour mash
a grain mash for use in distilling certain whiskeys , consisting of a mixture of new and old mash
sour milk
milk that is no longer fresh
sour salt
crystals of citric acid or tartaric acid, used in flavoring foods, in pharmaceuticals, etc.
sour cherry
a Eurasian rosaceous tree, Prunus cerasus, with white flowers: cultivated for its tart red fruits
sour cream
Sour cream is cream that has been artificially made sour by being mixed with bacteria. It is used in cooking .
sour crude
Sour crude is crude oil with a high sulfur content .
sour-faced
bad-tempered and unfriendly
sour gourd
a large bombacaceous tree , Adansonia gregorii, of N Australia , having gourdlike fruit
sour grapes
If you describe someone's attitude as sour grapes , you mean that they say something is worthless or undesirable because they want it themselves but cannot have it.
sour orange
an orange tree ( Citrus aurantium ) widely grown as a rootstock for grafting other citrus trees
sour taste
The taste of something is the individual quality which it has when you put it in your mouth and which distinguishes it from other things. For example , something may have a sweet, bitter , sour , or salty taste.
whiskey sour
a mixed drink of whisky and lime or lemon juice , sometimes sweetened
sweet-and-sour
Sweet and sour is used to describe Chinese food that contains both a sweet flavour and something sharp or sour such as lemon or vinegar.
Hottentot fig
a succulent plant, Mesembryanthemum edule , of southern Africa, having a capsular fruit containing edible pulp : family Aizoaceae
sourdough
Sourdough or sourdough bread is bread made using fermenting dough, that has a slightly sour taste .
hot-and-sour soup
a spicy Chinese soup made with pork , chicken , beans , vinegar , etc., served hot
soured cream
cream soured by lactic acid bacteria, used in making salads , dips , etc
Chinese translation of 'sour'
sour
(ˈsauəʳ)
adj
(= bitter-tasting) 酸的 (suān de)
[milk]酸的 (suān de)
(= bad-tempered) 愠(慍)怒的 (yùnnù de)
vt
[relationship, attitude]使恶(惡)化 (shǐ èhuà)
vi
[relationship, attitude]变(變)坏(壞) (biàn huài)
to go or turn sour[milk, wine]变(變)馊(餿) (biàn sōu) [relationship]变(變)糟 (biàn zāo)
it's sour grapes这(這)是酸葡萄 (zhè shì suān pútáo)
1 (adjective)
Definition
having a sharp biting taste like the taste of lemon juice or vinegar
The stewed apple was sour even with honey.
Synonyms
sharp
a colourless, almost odourless liquid with a sharp, sweetish taste
acid
This apple juice has gone off and is somewhat acid.
tart
a slightly tart piece of candy
bitter
The leaves taste rather bitter.
unpleasant
an unpleasant taste of cheap coffee
pungent
The more herbs you use, the more pungent the sauce will be.
acetic
acidulated
acerb
Opposites
sweet
,
sugary
,
pleasant
,
mild
,
bland
,
agreeable
,
savoury
2 (adjective)
Definition
made acid or bad, such as when milk ferments
tiny fridges full of sour milk
Synonyms
rancid
the odour of rancid milk
turned
gone off
fermented
unsavoury
curdled
unwholesome
gone bad
off
Food starts to smell when it goes off.
Opposites
fresh
,
unspoiled
,
unimpaired
3 (adjective)
Definition
(of a person's mood) bad-tempered and unfriendly
He was a sour and lonely man.
Synonyms
bitter
cynical
crabbed
tart
discontented
grudging
acrimonious
The acrimonious debate on the agenda ended indecisively.
embittered
The experience had made me angry and embittered.
disagreeable
He's a shallow, disagreeable man.
churlish
It seemed churlish to refuse an offer meant so kindly.
ill-tempered
You sound like an ill-tempered child.
jaundiced
waspish
Her tone was somewhat waspish and abrupt.
grouchy (informal)
Grandfather is a grouchy old so-and-so.
ungenerous
peevish
Lack of sleep always made him peevish.
ill-natured
Opposites
pleasant
,
good-humoured
,
amiable
,
friendly
, genial,
affable
,
congenial
,
good-natured
,
good-tempered
,
warm-hearted
(verb)
Definition
to make or become less enjoyable or friendly
The experience, she says, has soured her.
Synonyms
embitter
I will not let this experience embitter me.
disenchant
alienate
envenom
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acid
Definition
sharp or sour in taste
This apple juice has gone off and is somewhat acid.
Synonyms
sour,
sharp,
tart,
pungent,
biting,
acidic,
acerbic,
acrid,
acetic,
vinegary,
acidulous,
acidulated,
vinegarish,
acerb
in the sense of acrimonious
The acrimonious debate on the agenda ended indecisively.
Synonyms
bitter,
cutting,
biting,
sharp,
severe,
hostile,
crabbed,
sarcastic,
embittered,
caustic,
petulant,
spiteful,
churlish,
astringent,
vitriolic,
acerbic,
trenchant,
irascible,
testy,
censorious,
rancorous,
mordant,
peevish,
splenetic,
mordacious,
pungent,
tart
in the sense of churlish
Definition
surly and rude
It seemed churlish to refuse an offer meant so kindly.
Synonyms
rude,
harsh,
crabbed,
vulgar,
sullen,
surly,
morose,
brusque,
ill-tempered,
boorish,
uncouth,
impolite,
loutish,
oafish,
uncivil,
unmannerly
Synonyms of 'sour'
sour
Explore 'sour' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of crabbed
Definition
bad-tempered
Synonyms
bad-tempered,
trying,
difficult,
cross,
tough,
harsh,
sour,
cynical,
tart,
perverse,
prickly,
irritable,
acrimonious,
surly,
petulant,
churlish,
acrid,
morose,
ill-tempered,
tetchy,
ratty (British, New Zealand, informal),
testy,
fretful,
splenetic,
captious
in the sense of disagreeable
Definition
(of a person) bad-tempered or disobliging
He's a shallow, disagreeable man.
Synonyms
ill-natured,
difficult,
nasty,
cross,
contrary,
unpleasant,
rude,
irritable,
unfriendly,
bad-tempered,
surly,
churlish,
brusque,
tetchy,
ratty (British, New Zealand, informal),
peevish,
ungracious,
disobliging,
unlikable or unlikeable
in the sense of embittered
Definition
feeling anger and despair as a result of misfortune
The experience had made me angry and embittered.
Synonyms
resentful,
angry,
acid,
bitter,
sour,
soured,
alienated,
disillusioned,
disaffected,
venomous,
rancorous,
at daggers drawn (informal),
nursing a grudge,
with a chip on your shoulder (informal)
in the sense of grouchy
Definition
bad-tempered
Grandfather is a grouchy old so-and-so.
Synonyms
bad-tempered,
cross,
irritable,
grumpy,
discontented,
grumbling,
surly,
petulant,
sulky,
ill-tempered,
irascible,
cantankerous,
tetchy,
ratty (British, New Zealand, informal),
testy,
querulous,
peevish,
huffy,
liverish
in the sense of ill-tempered
Definition
having a bad temper
You sound like an ill-tempered child.
Synonyms
cross,
irritable,
grumpy,
irascible,
sharp,
annoyed,
impatient,
touchy,
bad-tempered,
curt,
spiteful,
tetchy,
ratty (British, New Zealand, informal),
testy,
chippy (informal),
choleric,
ill-humoured,
liverish
in the sense of off
Definition
(of food or drink) having gone bad or sour
Food starts to smell when it goes off.
Synonyms
bad,
rotten,
rancid,
mouldy,
high,
turned,
spoiled,
sour,
decayed,
decomposed,
putrid
in the sense of peevish
Definition
fretful or irritable
Lack of sleep always made him peevish.
Synonyms
irritable,
cross,
crabbed,
childish,
acrimonious,
crusty,
snappy,
grumpy,
sullen,
touchy,
whingeing (informal),
surly,
fractious,
petulant,
churlish,
sulky,
ill-tempered,
cantankerous,
tetchy,
ratty (British, New Zealand, informal),
testy,
chippy (informal),
fretful,
short-tempered,
waspish,
querulous,
huffy,
splenetic,
crotchety (informal),
shrewish,
liverish,
captious,
pettish,
ill-natured
in the sense of pungent
Definition
having a strong sharp bitter smell or taste
The more herbs you use, the more pungent the sauce will be.