sore

American  

[sawr, sohr] / sɔr, soʊr /

adjective

sorer, sorest

1. physically painful or sensitive, as a wound, hurt, or diseased part.

   a sore arm.

   Synonyms:

   tender

2. suffering bodily pain from wounds, bruises, etc..

   He is sore because of all that exercise.

3. suffering mental pain; grieved, distressed, or sorrowful.

   to be sore at heart.

   Synonyms:

   vexed, pained, hurt, hurt, aggrieved

4. causing great mental pain, distress, or sorrow.

   a sore bereavement.

   Synonyms:

   grievous, depressing, painful

5. causing very great suffering, misery, hardship, etc..

   sore need.

6. Informal. annoyed; irritated; offended; angered.

   He was sore because he had to wait.

7. causing annoyance or irritation.

   a sore subject.

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noun

1. a sore spot or place on the body.

   Synonyms:

   wound, ulcer, abscess, inflammation

2. a source or cause of grief, distress, irritation, etc.

adverb

1. Archaic. sorely.

sore British  

/ sɔː /

adjective

1. (esp of a wound, injury, etc) painfully sensitive; tender

2. causing annoyance

   a sore point

3. resentful; irked

   he was sore that nobody believed him

4. urgent; pressing

   in sore need

5. (postpositive) grieved; distressed

6. causing grief or sorrow

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noun

1. a painful or sensitive wound, injury, etc

2. any cause of distress or vexation

adverb

1. archaic direly; sorely (now only in such phrases as sore pressed, sore afraid )

sore Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sore

• sight for sore eyes
• stick out (like a sore thumb)

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Other Word Forms

• soreness noun
• unsore adjective
• unsorely adverb
• unsoreness noun

Etymology

Origin of sore

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective, noun, and adverb); Old English sār; cognate with Dutch zeer, German sehr, Old Norse sārr

Example Sentences

The next morning I was so sore and stiff I couldn’t get out of bed and make it to the breakfast table.

From Literature

I was exhausted even though we’d probably traveled only two miles after all of Nothing’s walking in the wrong direction, and my whole body was still stiff and sore from my fall.

From Literature

She added she had sores on her elbows from being on her front and was scheduled to remain in the clinic for two weeks.

From BBC

"As far as the disc replacement, it's just sore. It takes time. My body has been through a lot."

From BBC

Those that have been left behind stick out like sore hitchhiker’s thumbs, which helps explain recent activist interest.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aching
• bruised
• hurting
• inflamed
• painful
• sharp
• tender
• uncomfortable