sore

[ sawr, sohr ]

/ sɔr, soʊr /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: sore / sorest / sores / soreness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, sor·er, sor·est.

physically painful or sensitive, as a wound, hurt, or diseased part: a sore arm.

suffering bodily pain from wounds, bruises, etc.: He is sore because of all that exercise.

suffering mental pain; grieved, distressed, or sorrowful: to be sore at heart.

causing great mental pain, distress, or sorrow: a sore bereavement.

causing very great suffering, misery, hardship, etc.: sore need.

Informal. annoyed; irritated; offended; angered: He was sore because he had to wait.

causing annoyance or irritation: a sore subject.

noun

a sore spot or place on the body.

a source or cause of grief, distress, irritation, etc.

adverb

Archaic. sorely.

OTHER WORDS FOR sore

1 tender.

3 aggrieved, hurt, pained, vexed.

4 grievous, distressing, painful, depressing.

8 inflammation, abscess, ulcer, wound.

See synonyms for sore on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sore

soreness, nounun·sore, adjectiveun·sore·ly, adverbun·sore·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sore in a sentence

The bag can also be used for physical therapy—heat it in the microwave and place it on sore muscles or strained joints for slow relief.
The hottest gifts to buy for the friend who’s always cold|Sandra Gutierrez G.|November 20, 2020|Popular-Science
This, he added, would result in him being called a “sore loser” and jeopardize any chance of him running for president again.
What It’s Like To Lose A Presidential Election|LGBTQ-Editor|November 5, 2020|No Straight News
Fatigue, headaches, sore throats, muscle pain, and diarrhea were also less common among younger patients.
A record number of kids got COVID-19 last week|Sara Chodosh|November 4, 2020|Popular-Science
He finished the game, a 30-27 victory, but woke up extremely sore the next day.
Amid the pandemic, college football’s powers ceded the stage. Enter Coastal Carolina.|John Feinstein|October 29, 2020|Washington Post

The device’s head can also be adjusted across 175 degrees, for convenient access to sore places.
Electronics and exercise gear that make excellent gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 8, 2020|Popular-Science
Murphy also mentioned constant soreness in his hands, which incurred a total of four gunshot wounds.
15 Rounds and Still Talking: Lt. Brian Murphy’s Story of the Oak Creek Massacre|Simran Jeet Singh|August 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From my neck to my temples, there is a throbbing soreness on both sides of my face, all radiating from the hinge of my jawbone.
After War: Anger, Panic, and Sometimes Peace|Benjamin Tupper|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The muscle soreness soon escalated into a storm of extreme symptoms—crippling pain, flu-like weakness, unquenchable thirst.
Necrotizing Fasciitis: Life After Flesh-Eating Bacteria|Casey Schwartz|May 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Holmes and myself have wrestled upon another battle-field, and I can afford to forgive him, from the soreness of his defeat.
Alone|Marion Harland
But the soreness remained and the Shearmen were very turbulent for a long period.
The Influence and Development of English Gilds|Francis Aiden Hibbert
In a few moments I became insensible, but when I awoke an hour later I was astounded to feel a curious soreness in my ears.
The Czar's Spy|William Le Queux
If any soreness of the throat remains, give a few doses of Mercurius.
An Epitome of Homeopathic Healing Art|B. L. Hill
He was of too good a nature to be stirred to injustice against his friend by the soreness of this feeling.
The Prime Minister|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for sore

sore

/ (sɔː) /

adjective

(esp of a wound, injury, etc) painfully sensitive; tender

causing annoyancea sore point

resentful; irkedhe was sore that nobody believed him

urgent; pressingin sore need

(postpositive) grieved; distressed

causing grief or sorrow

noun

a painful or sensitive wound, injury, etc

any cause of distress or vexation

adverb

archaic direly; sorely (now only in such phrases as sore pressed, sore afraid)

Derived forms of sore

soreness, noun

Word Origin for sore

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for sore

sore

[ sôr ]

An open skin lesion, wound, or ulcer.

adj.

Painful to the touch; tender.

Other words from sore

sore′ness n.

Other Idioms and Phrases with sore

sore

In addition to the idiom beginning with sore

sore point, a

also see:

sight for sore eyes
stick out (like a sore thumb)

sore

OTHER WORDS FOR sore

Origin of sore

OTHER WORDS FROM sore

Words related to sore

How to use sore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sore

Derived forms of sore

Word Origin for sore

Medical definitions for sore

Other words from sore

Other Idioms and Phrases with sore