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.

---

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

---

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)

---

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 boards also noted that he had permanent brain damage and had suffered huge bed sores.

From BBC

He said: "I think graduates quite rightly feel very sore, because they're sort of running to stand still."

From BBC

I ease myself up off the ground, wincing at how sore my quads are.

From Literature

Stiff knees, sore hips, and persistent joint pain are often brushed off as normal signs of aging.

From Science Daily

It was time we stopped sticking out like sore thumbs.

From Literature

Related Words

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