sore
physically painful or sensitive, as a wound, hurt, or diseased part: a sore arm.
suffering bodily pain from wounds, bruises, etc.: He is sore because of all that exercise.
suffering mental pain; grieved, distressed, or sorrowful: to be sore at heart.
causing great mental pain, distress, or sorrow: a sore bereavement.
causing very great suffering, misery, hardship, etc.: sore need.
causing annoyance or irritation: a sore subject.
a sore spot or place on the body.
a source or cause of grief, distress, irritation, etc.
Archaic. sorely.
Origin of sore
1Other words for sore
1 | tender |
3 | aggrieved, hurt, pained, vexed |
4 | grievous, distressing, painful, depressing |
8 | inflammation, abscess, ulcer, wound |
Other words from sore
- soreness, noun
- un·sore, adjective
- un·sore·ly, adverb
- un·sore·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for sore
/ (sɔː) /
(esp of a wound, injury, etc) painfully sensitive; tender
causing annoyance: a sore point
resentful; irked: he was sore that nobody believed him
urgent; pressing: in sore need
(postpositive) grieved; distressed
causing grief or sorrow
a painful or sensitive wound, injury, etc
any cause of distress or vexation
archaic direly; sorely (now only in such phrases as sore pressed, sore afraid)
Origin of sore
1Derived forms of sore
- soreness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with sore
In addition to the idiom beginning with sore
- sore point, a
also see:
- sight for sore eyes
- stick out (like a sore thumb)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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