sour
Having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar; not sweet.
Having a sharp, acidic taste or smell like lemon, vinegar, or fermented food, often contrasted with sweet.
Describes food or drink that has gone bad and now tastes or smells sharply unpleasant.
Describes food or drink, especially milk or dairy products, that has spoiled and developed an unpleasant acidic taste or smell.
Showing anger or dislike in a quiet, cold way; not warm or friendly.
Describing a person, mood, or expression that seems unfriendly, bad-tempered, or filled with resentment.
To change from good or friendly to bad or unfriendly.
To gradually become worse, less friendly, or less successful after previously being good or positive, especially of relationships or situations.
To make a good or happy situation become bad or unfriendly.
To cause a relationship, mood, or situation to become worse, less friendly, or less enjoyable.
When food or drink changes and becomes sour in taste or smell.
Of food or drink, especially milk or other liquids: to develop an acidic taste or smell through fermentation or spoilage.
The sharp taste you feel with foods like lemon or vinegar; the sour flavor.
The acidic, sharp taste itself that is found in foods like lemon or vinegar, often mentioned as one basic type of flavor.
- Base: sour
- Comparative: sourer
- Superlative: sourest
- Base: sour
- 3rd Person Singular: sours
- Present Participle: souring
- Past: soured
end on a sour note
1to finish in an unpleasant way
When something that was mostly good finishes in an unhappy or unpleasant way.
- 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
1for something good to go wrong
When a plan, relationship, or situation changes from good to bad, or from successful to unsuccessful.
- 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
1to cause a lasting bad feeling
To make someone feel disappointed or uncomfortable about something, even after it is over.
- 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
1to become disillusioned with
To stop liking or trusting someone or something, often after a bad experience.
- 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
1having both sweet and acidic tastes
Used about food or sauce that tastes both sweet and sour at the same time.
- 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
1to suddenly become unpleasant or hostile
To suddenly change from friendly, happy, or positive to unfriendly, unhappy, or negative.
- 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
1resentful claim not to care
Saying something is bad or not important only because you cannot have it or did not get it.
- 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
1Cocktail 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.
- 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.