sour
gb/sˈaʊɚ/ us/sˈaʊɚ/
A2
English
~ 7400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
having an acidic, sharp taste
Having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar; not sweet.
Usage pattern:
[something] tastes/smells sour; sour [food/drink]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "sour" with "salty" or "bitter". Use "sour" for tastes like lemon, vinegar, or some dairy products, not for tastes like salt or very dark chocolate.
Synonyms
tart (Common for sharp but pleasant fruity or acidic tastes.)
|
acidic (More technical or scientific; not used as often for everyday food descriptions.)
Antonyms
sweet (Describes tastes like sugar or honey, the usual opposite of sour.)
|
bland (Lacking strong taste; opposite in intensity rather than flavor type.)
Collocations
sour taste
|sour smell
|sour candy
|sour cream
|sweet and sour
|slightly sour
Themes
food
|senses
|daily life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The yogurt has a pleasantly sour taste.
- She squeezed some lemon into the soup to make it a bit more sour.
- The air had a sour smell from the vinegar spill.
- I prefer sour candy to chocolate.
- The sauce is too sour; add a little sugar.
Learner examples
- The milk tastes sour, so I will not drink it.
- This lemon is very sour.
- I like the sour taste of yogurt.
- The room had a sour smell after the food went bad.
- The drink is sweet, not sour.
adjective
B1
property
2
spoiled and unpleasantly acidic
Describes food or drink that has gone bad and now tastes or smells sharply unpleasant.
Usage pattern:
[food/drink] is/goes/has gone sour
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "sour" for any bad food. "Sour" is best when the food has an acidic, sharp smell or taste, especially for milk and dairy. Use words like "rotten" or "spoiled" for food that smells putrid or decayed.
Synonyms
off (Very common in everyday speech in British English for food that is no longer good to eat.)
|
spoiled (More general; means no longer safe or pleasant to eat, not always specifically sour.)
Antonyms
fresh (Describes food that is recently made or picked and not spoiled.)
Collocations
sour milk
|has gone sour
|turned sour
|sour smell
|sour dairy
|sour leftovers
Themes
food
|daily life
|health
|food_drink
Examples
- The milk has gone sour, so pour it down the sink.
- There was a sour smell from the fridge because something had spoiled.
- If you leave yogurt out all day, it can turn very sour.
- The cream tasted sour, and we realized it was past its date.
- The sauce went sour after sitting on the counter overnight.
Learner examples
- This milk is sour. Do not drink it.
- The cheese smells sour. I think it is bad.
- The soup turned sour in the heat.
- We threw away the sour meat.
- The sour yogurt made my stomach hurt.
adjective
B2
property
3
unfriendly, bad-tempered, or resentful
Showing anger or dislike in a quiet, cold way; not warm or friendly.
Usage pattern:
sour [mood/face/attitude]; [someone] looks/turns sour
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "sour" here means "sad". It is closer to "coldly angry" or "unfriendly" than to simply "sad".
Synonyms
sullen (Emphasizes silent, gloomy anger rather than simple unfriendliness.)
|
grumpy (More informal and light; often used for temporary bad temper.)
Antonyms
cheerful (Describes a happy, positive attitude, opposite of a sour mood.)
|
pleasant (Describes a friendly, easy manner, the opposite of a sour attitude.)
Collocations
sour mood
|sour expression
|sour attitude
|sour face
|turn sour
|go sour
Themes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
Examples
- He gave me a sour look and walked away.
- Her mood turned sour after she heard the news.
- The meeting ended on a sour note, and nobody wanted to talk.
- Years of disappointment left him with a sour attitude toward politics.
- She sounded sour on the phone, so I decided not to push the topic.
Learner examples
- My boss was in a sour mood today.
- He gave the waiter a sour look.
- The party started fun but ended with a sour feeling.
- After the argument, she became sour toward him.
- His sour face showed he was not happy.
Verb
B2
event
4
to become worse or unfriendly
To change from good or friendly to bad or unfriendly.
Usage pattern:
[relationship/situation/attitude] sours; [something] has soured
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use "sour" this way with people directly (e.g. *"He soured" meaning "He became angry"). It is more natural to say "His mood soured" or "He became bitter".
Synonyms
deteriorate (More formal; used widely for any kind of gradual worsening.)
|
cool (Focuses on reduced warmth or enthusiasm, especially in relationships.)
Antonyms
improve (General opposite: to become better instead of worse.)
|
warm (In relationships, to become more friendly and positive.)
Collocations
friendship soured
|relations soured
|deal soured
|market soured
|mood soured
|public opinion soured
Themes
relationships
|business
|emotions
Examples
- Their friendship soured after the business deal went wrong.
- Investor confidence has soured in recent months.
- Relations between the two countries soured following the incident.
- Her opinion of the company soured once she started working there.
- The mood quickly soured when the layoffs were announced.
Learner examples
- Their relationship soured after the big fight.
- Public opinion soured when prices went up.
- The good atmosphere soured when he arrived late and angry.
- My view of the city soured after my phone was stolen.
- Talks between the two teams soured and then stopped.
Verb
B2
action
5
to damage or spoil a situation
To make a good or happy situation become bad or unfriendly.
Usage pattern:
[something] sours [relationship/mood/situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use "sour" with objects that cannot really have a relationship or mood (e.g. *"The rain soured the car"). Use it when something affects feelings, relationships, or the general atmosphere.
Synonyms
damage (General and common; not specific to moods or relationships.)
|
spoil (Close in meaning; often used for ruining enjoyment of an event or experience.)
Antonyms
improve (General; to make a situation better instead of worse.)
|
repair (Often used for fixing damaged relationships or situations.)
Collocations
sour relations
|sour a deal
|sour the mood
|sour the atmosphere
|sour a friendship
|sour negotiations
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|business
Examples
- His rude comments soured the whole evening.
- The scandal has soured relations with the community.
- The disagreement over money soured their partnership.
- Delays in payment could sour future negotiations.
- The bad review soured her enthusiasm for the project.
Learner examples
- The argument soured their friendship.
- His joke soured the happy mood in the room.
- Late payments can sour a good business relationship.
- Her harsh words soured the family dinner.
- The bad news soured the start of the holiday.
Verb
B2
event
6
for food or drink to become sour
When food or drink changes and becomes sour in taste or smell.
Usage pattern:
[food/drink] sours; [food/drink] has soured
Synonyms
ferment (More technical; used especially when the process is controlled or desired (e.g. making yogurt or beer).)
|
curdle (Focuses on the thickening/separating of milk, not exactly the taste change.)
Antonyms
freshen (To become fresher in taste or smell; opposite direction of change.)
Collocations
milk soured
|cream soured
|the mixture soured
|soured overnight
|quickly soured
|left to sour
Themes
food
|science
|daily life
|food_drink
|health
Examples
- The milk soured in the heat.
- If you leave the dough out too long, it will sour.
- The cream had soured by the time we wanted to use it.
- The wine had soured into vinegar after years in the open bottle.
- The sauce soured because it was not kept in the fridge.
Learner examples
- The milk soured because it was outside the fridge.
- This juice has soured; do not drink it.
- The cream soured overnight.
- If you leave the soup out, it will sour.
- The wine soured and now tastes like vinegar.
Noun
B2
entity
7
the taste of something sour
The sharp taste you feel with foods like lemon or vinegar; the sour flavor.
Usage pattern:
the sour of [food]; sweet and sour
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize "sour" as a noun and instead expect only the adjective. It is mostly used in cooking and tasting contexts.
Synonyms
acidity (More technical; often used in cooking, wine-tasting, or chemistry.)
Antonyms
sweetness (The basic taste of sugar or honey, often contrasted with sour.)
|
bitterness (Another basic taste, contrasted with sour in flavor discussions.)
Collocations
sweet and sour
|a hint of sour
|balance the sour
|touch of sour
|bit of sour
|add some sour
Themes
food
|senses
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The lime adds a nice sour to the drink.
- This dish has too much sour and not enough salt.
- The chef said the recipe needs more sour to balance the sweetness.
- You can adjust the sour by adding more vinegar.
- The candy has a strong sour followed by a sweet finish.
Learner examples
- I like the sour of lemon in my tea.
- Add vinegar to give the salad some sour.
- The sweet and the sour are well balanced in this dish.
- There is a little sour in this sauce from the lemon.
- This drink has a strong sour and a light sweet taste.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sour
IPA
GB/sˈaʊɚ/
US/sˈaʊɚ/
Syllables & stress
sour (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sour)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sour
- Comparative: sourer
- Superlative: sourest
Verb
- Base: sour
- 3rd Person Singular: sours
- Present Participle: souring
- Past: soured
Word family
Forms
sours
verb
souring
verb
soured
verb
sourer
adjective
sourest
adjective
Related words
sourly
adverb
sourness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
sweet
adjective A1
Expressions
end on a sour note
1/ˈɛnd ˈɔn ə sˈaʊɚ nˈoʊt/
idiom
to finish in an unpleasant way
When something that was mostly good finishes in an unhappy or unpleasant way.
Examples
- The concert ended on a sour note after the singer argued with the audience.
- We don't want this meeting to end on a sour note.
- Their holiday ended on a sour note when they missed their flight home.
go sour
1/ɡˈoʊ sˈaʊɚ/
idiom
for something good to go wrong
When a plan, relationship, or situation changes from good to bad, or from successful to unsuccessful.
Examples
- Their relationship went sour after they started working together.
- The project went sour when the main investor pulled out.
- The deal went sour at the last minute because of legal problems.
leave a sour taste in someone's mouth
1/lˈiv ə sˈaʊɚ tˈeɪst ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz mˈaʊθ/
idiom
to cause a lasting bad feeling
To make someone feel disappointed or uncomfortable about something, even after it is over.
Examples
- The way the staff spoke to us left a sour taste in my mouth.
- The unfair ending of the movie left a sour taste in many viewers' mouths.
- The whole experience left a sour taste in his mouth, and he never went back.
sour on someone/something
1/sˈaʊɚ ˈɔn sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
to become disillusioned with
To stop liking or trusting someone or something, often after a bad experience.
Examples
- Investors have soured on the company after repeated losses.
- She soured on city life and moved to the countryside.
- Fans began to sour on the coach after another losing season.
sweet and sour
1/swˈit ˈænd sˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
having both sweet and acidic tastes
Used about food or sauce that tastes both sweet and sour at the same time.
Examples
- We ordered sweet and sour chicken for dinner.
- I like the sweet and sour taste of this sauce.
- The recipe calls for a sweet and sour dressing.
turn sour
1/tˈɚn sˈaʊɚ/
idiom
to suddenly become unpleasant or hostile
To suddenly change from friendly, happy, or positive to unfriendly, unhappy, or negative.
Examples
- The conversation turned sour when they started talking about politics.
- The party turned sour after the neighbors complained about the noise.
- His smile turned sour when he heard the decision.
sour grapes
1/sˈaʊɚ ɡɹˈeɪps/
idiom
resentful claim not to care
Saying something is bad or not important only because you cannot have it or did not get it.
Examples
- Saying that the job was boring after they rejected you just sounds like sour grapes.
- His comments about the winner just sounded like sour grapes.
- When he called the winner "lucky, not talented," it was pure sour grapes.
- Calling the job "boring" now is pure sour grapes; she was desperate to get it last month.
- Her comments about the prize being useless were probably sour grapes.
- People accused him of sour grapes after he criticized the team that rejected him.
whiskey sour
1/wˈɪski sˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
Cocktail of whiskey and lemon
A cocktail made with whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar or another sweetener, usually served in a glass with or without ice.
Examples
- She ordered a whiskey sour at the bar.
- She sipped a whiskey sour while waiting for her friends.
- I like whiskey sour because it's not too sweet.
- If you like sour drinks, try a whiskey sour with extra lemon.
- He mixed a perfect whiskey sour for his guests.