sour
having an acid taste, resembling that of vinegar, lemon juice, etc.; tart.
rendered acid or affected by fermentation; fermented.
producing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is not bitter, salt, or sweet.
characteristic of something fermented: a sour smell.
distasteful or disagreeable; unpleasant.
below standard; poor: It was a sour effort all around, the kind of effort that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
harsh in spirit or temper; acrimonious; disagreeable; peevish.
Agriculture. (of soil) having excessive acidity.
(of gasoline or the like) contaminated by sulfur compounds.
Music. off-pitch; badly produced: a sour note.
something that is sour.
any of various cocktails consisting typically of whiskey or gin with lemon or lime juice and sugar and sometimes soda water, often garnished with a slice of orange, a maraschino cherry, or both.
any of various beers with a particularly acidic or tart taste, made so by acid-producing bacteria and yeast in the brew: Sours are a good choice to go with deep-fried bar food.
an acid or an acidic substance used in laundering and bleaching to neutralize alkalis and to decompose residual soap or bleach.
to become sour, rancid, mildewed, etc.; spoil: Milk sours quickly in warm weather. The laundry soured before it was ironed.
to become unpleasant or strained; worsen; deteriorate: Relations between the two countries have soured.
to become bitter, disillusioned, or disinterested: I guess I soured when I learned he was married.My loyalty soured after his last book.
Agriculture. (of soil) to develop excessive acidity.
to make sour; cause sourness in: What do they use to sour the mash?
to cause spoilage in; rot: Defective cartons soured the apples.
to make bitter, disillusioned, or disagreeable: One misadventure needn't have soured him. That swindle soured a great many potential investors.
Origin of sour
1Other words for sour
5 | bitter |
6 | suboptimal, subpar, unsatisfactory |
7 | embittered, testy, touchy, cross, petulant, crabbed; severe |
Opposites for sour
Other words from sour
- sour·ish, adjective
- sour·ly, adverb
- sour·ness, noun
- o·ver·sour, adjective
- o·ver·sour·ly, adverb
- o·ver·sour·ness, noun
- un·sour, adjective
- un·sour·ly, adverb
- un·sour·ness, noun
Words Nearby sour
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sour in a sentence
Cut warm bread into wedges and serve with sour cream butter, enjoy immediately.
A Chewy and Crispy Korean Bing Bread Recipe That Chicago Diners Obsess Over | Patty Diez | September 24, 2020 | EaterWhile the conviction partly reflects the outsize returns from internet and software companies, it also highlights the danger should sentiment start to sour, he said.
Morgan Stanley analyst warns tech selloff could still have further to go | kdunn6 | September 22, 2020 | FortuneAnd, investors that had previously soured on digitally-native consumer startups over concerns about high customer acquisition costs are starting to change their tune, given the huge growth these companies have seen over the past six months.
‘It is all DTC now’: VCs are eager to strike deals again | Anna Hensel | September 18, 2020 | DigidayIt potentially sours people’s views towards the sport’s integrity.
The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast) | Stephen J. Dubner | August 20, 2020 | FreakonomicsYou visit the sour clerk at the coffee shop at which you are a regular.
He had already let his reputation sour—and his country down—so he paid up.
After a stint with a replacement Head Mistress went sour, R seriously considered shutting down La Domaine for good.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau | Ian Frisch | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd research shows that sugar has a sour effect on mental health, too.
Light amber in color with a subtle sour finish, Fula is one of Casa Bruja's best sellers.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama | Jeff Campagna | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOne strip, Foolish Grandpa and sour Henry, shows Grandpa being hit on the head by a sandbag and blown up by dynamite.
The Magazine That Made—and Unmade—Politicians | Anthony Haden-Guest | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd right after that, some nice sour milk would come splashing down into the trough of the pen.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumAs soon as he was in it Squinty ran over to the trough, hoping there would be some sour milk in it.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumWhy, he ordered his chamber-maid to bring him some soap and warm water, that he might wash the sour krout off his hands.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousThey affirmed it was an antidote to all poison; that it expelled rheums, sour humours, and obstructions of all kinds.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings."Getting back home," answered Squinty, as he took a big drink of sour milk.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard Barnum
British Dictionary definitions for sour (1 of 2)
/ (ˈsaʊə) /
having or denoting a sharp biting taste like that of lemon juice or vinegar: Compare bitter (def. 1)
made acid or bad, as in the case of milk or alcohol, by the action of microorganisms
having a rancid or unwholesome smell
(of a person's temperament) sullen, morose, or disagreeable
(esp of the weather or climate) harsh and unpleasant
disagreeable; distasteful: a sour experience
(of land, etc) lacking in fertility, esp due to excessive acidity
(of oil, gas, or petrol) containing a relatively large amount of sulphur compounds
go sour or turn sour to become unfavourable or inharmonious: his marriage went sour
something sour
mainly US any of several iced drinks usually made with spirits, lemon juice, and ice: a whiskey sour
an acid used in laundering and bleaching clothes or in curing animal skins
to make or become sour
Origin of sour
1Derived forms of sour
- sourish, adjective
- sourly, adverb
- sourness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Sour (2 of 2)
/ (sʊə) /
a variant spelling of Sur
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
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