sour

1 of 3

adjective

ˈsau̇(-ə)r 

1

: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids and is characteristic of lemon juice

sour pickles

compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, salty entry 1 sense 1b, sweet entry 1 sense 1, umami entry 2

2

a(1)

: having the acid taste or smell of or as if of fermentation : turned

sour milk

(2)

: of or relating to fermentation

b

: smelling or tasting of decay : rancid, rotten

sour breath

c(1)

: bad, wrong

a project gone sour

(2)

: hostile, disenchanted

went sour on Marxism

3

a

: unpleasant, distasteful

b

: cross, sullen

c

: not up to the usual, expected, or standard quality or pitch

4

: acid in reaction

—used especially of soil

5

: containing malodorous sulfur compounds

—used especially of petroleum products

sourish

ˈsau̇(-ə)r-ish 

adjective

sourly adverb

sourness noun

sour

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: something sour

… they assimilated many Anglo-American sweet pickles and began adding more sugar to their sours.

—William Woys Weaver

b

: the taste sensation produced chiefly by acids compare bitter entry 2 sense 1b, salty entry 2, sweet entry 3 sense 2, umami entry 1

2

: a cocktail consisting of a liquor (such as whiskey), lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes ice

sour

3 of 3

verb

soured; souring; sours

intransitive verb

: to become sour

transitive verb

: to make sour

Synonyms

Adjective

• acid
• acidic
• acidulous
• sourish
• tart
• tartish
• vinegary

Verb

• alien
• alienate
• disaffect
• disgruntle
• estrange

Examples of sour in a Sentence

Adjective

The milk had turned sour.

He made a sour face.

Verb

Her disposition has soured in recent years.

Jealousy has soured their relationship.

His experiences have soured him.

The team's victory was soured by an injury to one of their best players.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Your bag should include something with strong tastes like sour, bitter, or salty to stimulate the vagus nerve at the back of the tongue, which may help promote a calming effect. —Nicole Cain, Harvard Business Review, 23 Oct. 2024

The gist: Slightly sour juicy fruit soaks into a batter of heavy butter, sugar and eggs, creating a sturdy dessert. —Monica Eng, Axios, 13 Oct. 2024

Noun

The brewery does not make hazy IPAs, big adjunct stouts or fruit-forward sours — all favorites among the craft beer crowd. —John Frank, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024

Deftly twisting between two women in fedora hats, a waiter handed me a pisco sour. —Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

Verb

Putin is reluctant to order another large-scale mobilization that might sour Russians on the war. —Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024

But the relationship between the two continued to sour, with Gallant criticizing Netanyahu for failing to put forward a vision for the Gaza Strip after Israel defeated Hamas, and failing to reach a cease-fire deal to release hostages held by Hamas. —Laura Kelly, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English sūr; akin to Old High German sūr sour, Lithuanian sūrus salty

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing sour

• on a sour note
• sour ball
• sour cherry
• sour cream
• sour grapes
• sour grass
• sour gum
• sour mash
• sour on
• sour orange
• sweet-and-sour
• whiskey sour

Kids Definition

sour

1 of 3 adjective

ˈsau̇(ə)r 

1

: having or being an acid or tart taste that is one of the four taste sensations compare bitter sense 1, salt entry 3 sense 1b, sweet entry 1 sense 1b

2

a

: having become acid through spoiling

sour milk

b

: indicating decay : putrid

a sour odor

3

: unpleasant, disagreeable

a sour look

played a sour note

4

: acid in reaction

sour soil

sourly adverb

sourness noun

sour

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: something sour

b

: the basic taste sensation produced by acid stimuli

2

: a cocktail made with liquor, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and sometimes soda water

sour

3 of 3 verb

: to become or make sour

Medical Definition

sour

1 of 2 adjective

ˈsau̇(ə)r 

: causing, characterized by, or being the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids compare bitter, salt entry 2 sense 2, sweet entry 1

sourness noun

sour

2 of 2 noun

: the primary taste sensation produced by acid stimuli