sour

sour
[[t]sa͟ʊ'ə(r)[/t]]
sours, souring, soured
1) ADJ-GRADED Something that is sour has a sharp, unpleasant taste like the taste of a lemon.
See also sweet and sour

The stewed apple was sour even with honey.

Syn:
2) ADJ Sour milk is milk that has an unpleasant taste because it is no longer fresh.
Ant:
3) ADJ-GRADED Someone who is sour is bad-tempered and unfriendly.

She made a sour face in his direction...

Police, weary and increasingly sour in mood, wonder aloud why the situation has been allowed to deteriorate.

Syn:
surly, churlish
Derived words:
sourly ADV ADV with v

`Leave my mother out of it,' he said sourly.

4) ADJ If a situation or relationship turns sour or goes sour, it stops being enjoyable or satisfactory.

Everything turned sour for me there...

Even the European dream is beginning to turn sour...

Their songs are filled with tales of love gone sour.

5) V-ERG If a friendship, situation, or attitude sours or if something sours it, it becomes less friendly, enjoyable, or hopeful.

[V n] If anything sours the relationship, it is likely to be real differences in their world-views...

Her mood soured a little.

6) PHRASE (disapproval) If you refer to someone's attitude as sour grapes, you mean that they say that something is worthless or undesirable because they want it themselves but cannot have it.

Page's response to the suggestion that this might be sour grapes because his company lost the bid is: `Life's too short for that.'


English dictionary. 2008.

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  • sour´ly — sour «sowr», adjective, verb, noun, adverb. –adj. 1. having a taste like that of vinegar or lemon juice; sharp and biting: »Most green fruit is sour. SYNONYM(S): acid, acidulous, tart. 2. fermented; acid as a result of fermentation; spoiled. Sour …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sour — Sour, a. [Compar. {Sourer}; superl. {Sourest}.] [OE. sour, sur, AS. s?r; akin to D. zuur, G. sauer, OHG. s?r, Icel. s?rr, Sw. sur, Dan. suur, Lith. suras salt, Russ. surovui harsh, rough. Cf. {Sorrel}, the plant.] 1. Having an acid or sharp,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sour — [sour] adj. [ME soure < OE sur, akin to Ger sauer, ON sūrr < IE * suro , sour, salty > Latvian sũrs, salty, bitter] 1. having the sharp, acid taste of lemon juice, vinegar, green fruit, etc. 2. made acid or rank by or as by fermentation… …   English World dictionary

  • Sour — Sour, v. t. [AS. s?rian to sour, to become sour.] 1. To cause to become sour; to cause to turn from sweet to sour; as, exposure to the air sours many substances. [1913 Webster] So the sun s heat, with different powers, Ripens the grape, the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sour — sour, acid, acidulous, tart, dry mean having a taste devoid of sweetness. All but dry suggest the taste of lemons, vinegar, or of most unripe fruits. Sour and acid are often interchangeable, but sour is more likely to be chosen to describe… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sour — sour; sour·berry; sour·dine; sour·i·quois; sour·ish; sour·ly; sour·ness; sour·sob; vav·a·sour; …   English syllables

  • sour — Ⅰ. sour UK US /saʊər/ verb [I or T] ► to become, or cause to become, less pleasant, friendly, or successful: »Meeting clients unexpectedly can sour a relationship. »Loans are souring, as bankruptcies and the bad debts they leave behind keep… …   Financial and business terms

  • sour on — informal : having a bad opinion of (something) She was sour on politics in general. • • • Main Entry: ↑sour sour on [phrasal verb] sour on (something) or sour (someone) on (something …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sour — 〈[saʊər] m.; od. s, 〉 alkohol. Mixgetränk mit Zitronen od. Limonensaft ● Whisky Sour [<engl. sour „sauer“] * * * Sour   [sur], Stadt in Südlibanon, Sur. * * * Sour [ zauɐ, engl. saʊə], der; [s], s [engl. sour, eigtl. = sauer]: stark… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • sour — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar. 2) tasting or smelling rancid from fermentation or staleness. 3) resentful, bitter, or angry. ► NOUN ▪ a cocktail made by mixing a spirit with lemon or lime juice. ► VERB ▪ make or become …   English terms dictionary

  • sour — (adj.) O.E. sur, from P.Gmc. *suraz (Cf. O.N. surr, M.Du. suur, Du. zuur, O.H.G. sur, Ger. Sauer), from PIE root *suro sour, salty, bitter (Cf. O.C.S. syru, Rus. syroi moist, raw; Lith. suras salty …   Etymology dictionary

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