sore throat

American

noun

Pathology.

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

sore throats

plural

Etymology

Origin of sore throat

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

sore throat

As part of the Pharmacy First scheme, pharmacists can currently prescribe medication for a sore throat, earache, sinusitis, shingles, impetigo, infected bites and urinary tract infections.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Early symptoms resemble those of other, more common diseases: fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

My sore throat was gone, but speaking for more than 10 seconds made me lightheaded, as if I were trying to blow up a balloon simply by talking.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

She had a sore throat and felt very weak.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023