sore throat

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a painful or sensitive condition of the throat exaggerated by swallowing or talking, usually caused by bacteria or viruses; laryngitis; pharyngitis; tonsillitis.

---

Etymology

Origin of sore throat

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

That data measures illnesses that include a fever and a cough or sore throat, which should capture the flu but may also include other pathogens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

Symptoms in humans mimic a severe flu: high fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and, at times, conjunctivitis.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

Antibiotic use is driven largely by common colds, which produce secondary bacterial things like sore throat, earache, nasal congestion, sinusitis.

From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025

County, 2.8% of emergency room visits were for illnesses such as fever plus a cough or sore throat, up from 2.2% four weeks earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025

The germs attack the lining of the air passages, nose, throat, and bronchial tubes, which results in a deep cough and sore throat.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool