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
3
a
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
1
a
: something sour
… they assimilated many Anglo-American sweet pickles and began adding more sugar to their sours.—
William Woys Weaver
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
soured; souring; sours
: to become sour
: to make sour
Synonyms
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 WebJean E. Palmieri, WWD, 1 Aug. 2024
The fruit resembles a spherical raspberry and offers a sweet, mildly sour taste.
—Grace Xue, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024
Wash down your meal with a pisco sour or Subantarctica golden ale, or pick up a hot cocoa at Notro Patagonia Emporio.
—Patricia Garip, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 June 2023
Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024
The finale centered around Parker and Victoria’s nuptials, but camp director Lou’s celebratory mood was quickly soured by the news that all of her best employees are leaving for greener pastures.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sour 
Adjective
The North American bankruptcies came about a month after AARC put Ted Baker’s U.K. and European retail and e-commerce businesses into administration, the U.K. version of bankruptcy, when its relationship with its partner there turned sour.
—Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 1 Aug. 2024
The fruit resembles a spherical raspberry and offers a sweet, mildly sour taste.
—Grace Xue, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024
Noun
Look for a tequila and mezcal-forward selection, plus drinks like the Wari Queen, a take on a Pisco sour, or the Walnut Creek, made with gin, xtabentum (an anise liqueur), nixta (a Mexican corn liquor), lemon, thyme and walnut bitters.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024
Wash down your meal with a pisco sour or Subantarctica golden ale, or pick up a hot cocoa at Notro Patagonia Emporio.
—Patricia Garip, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 June 2023
Verb
Cedric Chehab, global head of country risk at research firm BMI, said a combination of factors were at play amid souring market sentiment.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024
The finale centered around Parker and Victoria’s nuptials, but camp director Lou’s celebratory mood was quickly soured by the news that all of her best employees are leaving for greener pastures.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sour
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sour
Cite this Entry
“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sour
1 of 3 adjective1
: 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 noun1
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
: 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
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