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
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
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
That’s the only sour taste in Sutton’s world these days.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
Vogue, 22 Feb. 2025
From classic sours to creative twists like a Maple Old Fashioned or Tuscan Toddy, this roundup highlights the versatility of bourbon during the colder months.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Sentiment soured though as the White House doubled down in the afternoon on aggressive tariffs.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The New York Fed’s latest Survey of Consumer Expectations data released Monday added more glum outlooks to the growing pile of sour sentiment readings from Americans at a time when unpredictable federal policies have caused uncertainty and recession fears to spike.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
That’s the only sour taste in Sutton’s world these days.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
Lounge in one of their signature hunter green banquets, order a pisco sour, and enjoy the scene.
—Vogue, 22 Feb. 2025
From classic sours to creative twists like a Maple Old Fashioned or Tuscan Toddy, this roundup highlights the versatility of bourbon during the colder months.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
But later, under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, relations soured.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Sentiment soured though as the White House doubled down in the afternoon on aggressive tariffs.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sour
Cite this Entry
“Sour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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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