sore

[ sawr, sohr ]

adjective

, sor·er, sor·est.

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: depressing, painful, grievous

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

/ 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 )

Derived Forms

• ˈsoreness, noun

Other Words From

• soreness noun
• un·sore adjective
• un·sorely adverb
• un·soreness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sore¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sore¹

Old English sār; related to Old Norse sārr, Old High German sēr, Gothic sair sore, Latin saevus angry

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with sore , also see sight for sore eyes ; stick out (like a sore thumb) .

Example Sentences

The lack of access has been a sore point within the SEC for the past decade.

From Fortune

The man had a fever, cough, sore throat and headache for three days in March.

From Science News For Students

The first time the man was infected, he had a fever, cough, sore throat and headache for three days.

From Science News

The volunteers who got it developed sore arms and other side effects that wouldn’t give away that they had not received the coronavirus vaccine.

From Science News For Students

The meningococcal vaccine is safe and was used as a comparison group instead of a placebo so that volunteers got sore arms and other side effects that wouldn’t give away that they were in a comparison group.

From Science News

But for the real Mark Schultz, whom Tatum plays in the film Foxcatcher, it has become a sore point.

From The Daily Beast

In the wake of the verdicts in Ferguson and New York City, many of us are still sore with emotion.

From The Daily Beast

Few sore losers could wield sharp words quite like Leon Trotsky, especially when talking about Joseph Stalin.

From The Daily Beast

It's always been the same: Tim Stoddard has a sore arm and they believe him.

From The Daily Beast

Before that final game, the Birds suggested that Palmer take a cortisone shot in his shoulder, which, that week, had become sore.

From The Daily Beast

The Father had been in sore straits of mind, as month after month had passed without tidings of his "blessed child."

From Project Gutenberg

She is a model of the Brisk—the little Brisk that was sore exposed that day at Navarino.

From Project Gutenberg

Leo flushed, and began again with a sore throat and a bad temper.

From Project Gutenberg

Jess, whose heart was still sore from the blow she had received at Mr. Closewicks grocery, thought this was very kind of Griff.

From Project Gutenberg

And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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