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, 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

Explanation

A sore is a broken patch of skin — something you might put a bandage on — or it's something that gives you pain, like a sore throat, that’s red and scratchy and painful. You can have a sore and you can also be sore: if you've just ridden your bike over the Alps, you're probably pretty sore — achy and hurting all over. Maybe you've heard phrases like "Don't be sore at me, boss," from old gangster movies, meaning "don't be angry." A sore point or a sore subject is something you don't want to discuss, like the sensitive topic of your last history quiz, the one you slept through.

Example Sentences

There are multiple sequences of Jackson with kids, visiting children’s hospitals and frequenting toy stores to sign autographs until his hands are sore.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

An acupressure wedge claims to help ease her sore neck and shoulders from hours of scrolling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

"It will stick out like a big sore thumb," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 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

Nothing too much, because I was sore from my run-in with the poppet yesterday.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

Related Words

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