sour

See also:sour-

English

Alternative forms

• sower,sowre(obsolete)

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishsour,fromOld Englishsūr(“sour”),fromProto-West Germanic*sūr,fromProto-Germanic*sūraz(“sour”),fromProto-Indo-European*súHros(“sour”).

Cognate withWest Frisiansoer,Dutchzuur(“sour”),Low Germansuur,Germansauer(“sour”),Danish,SwedishandNorwegiansur,Frenchsur(“sour”),Faroesesúrur(“sour”),Icelandicsúr(“sour, bitter”), Polishser(“cheese”), Czechsýr(“cheese”), Slovaksyr(“cheese”), Russianсырой(syroj,“raw”), Ukrainianсири́й(syrýj,“raw”), Old Church Slavonicсꙑръ(syrŭ,“moist, cheese”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈsaʊə/
• (General American)IPA^(key):/ˈsaʊɚ/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-aʊə(ɹ)
• Rhymes:-aʊ.ə(ɹ)

Adjective

sour(comparativesourer,superlativesourest)

1. Tasting ofacidity.

   Lemons have asourtaste.

   • 1627(indicated as1626),Francis [Bacon],“(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”,inSylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries.[…],London:[…]William Rawley[…];[p]rinted by J[ohn]H[aviland]for William Lee[…],→OCLC:

     Allsourthings, as vinegar, provoke appetite.

   • 2018May 16, Adam Rogers, “The Fundamental Nihilism of Yanny vs. Laurel”,inWired:

     A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off ofacidsping receptors for "sour."Sugarsget received as "sweet."Bitter,salty,and theproteinaceousflavorumamiall set off their own neural cascades.

2. Maderancidbyfermentation,etc.

   Don't drink that milk; it's turnedsour.

3. Tastingorsmellingrancid.

   Hissourbreath makes it unpleasing to talk to him.

4. (of a person's character)Hostileorunfriendly.

   He gave me asourlook.

   • c.1591–1592(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Third Part of Henry the Sixt,[…]”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene i]:

     He was a scholar[…]/ Lofty andsourto them that loved him not, / But to those men that sought him sweet as summer.

5. Excessively acidic and thusinfertile.(of soil)

   sourland

   asourmarsh

6. Containing excesssulfur.(of petroleum)

   sourgas smells like rotten eggs

7. Unfortunateorunfavorable.
   • 1613(date written),William Shakespeare,[John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene ii]:

     Let me embrace thee,souradversity

   • 2011October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, inBBC Sport‎^[1]:

     The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been asourweek, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.

8. (music)Off-pitch, out of tune.
   • 2010,Aniruddh D. Patel,Music, Language, and the Brain,page201:

     Unlike what the name implies, there is nothing inherently wrong with a sour note: It is perfectly well-tuned note that would sound normal in another context (and which presumably would not soundsourto someone unfamiliar with tonal music).

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of“soil, petroleum”):sweet

Derived terms

• fine and dandy like sour candy
• for sour apples
• go sour
• hot and sour soup
• leave a sour taste in one's mouth
• New York sour
• sour beer
• sour cherry
• sour corn
• sour cream
• sour crude
• sour diesel
• sourfaux
• sour fig
• sour gas
• sour gourd
• sour grapes
• sour grass
• sour gum
• sour honey
• sour krout
• sourly
• sour mash
• sour milk
• sourness
• sour note
• sour on
• sour puss
• sour shchi
• sour stomach
• sour-sweet
• sour tooth
• sour worm
• sweet-and-sour
• sweet-and-sour sauce
• the grapes are sour anyway

Translations

having an acidic, sharp or tangy taste

• Adyghe:хафэ(xafɛ)
• Aklanon:maaslom
• Albanian:thartë(sq)
• Amis:'acicim
• Arabic:حَامِض(ḥāmiḍ)

  Egyptian Arabic:مزز(mezez)

• Aragonese:agro
• Armenian:թթու(hy)(tʻtʻu)
• Assamese:টেঙা(teṅa)
• Asturian:agriu(ast),ácidu(ast)
• Azerbaijani:turş(az)
• Belarusian:кі́слы(kísly)
• Bengali:খাট্টা(bn)(khaṭṭa),চুকা(bn)(cuka),টেঙ্গা(bn)(ṭeṅga)
• Bikol Central:maalsom(bcl)
• Bulgarian:ки́сел(bg)(kísel)
• Burmese:ချဉ်(my)(hkyany)
• Catalan:àcid(ca),agre(ca)
• Cebuano:aslom
• Chamicuro:chawawa
• Chechen:муьста(müsta)
• Cherokee:ᏧᎿᏦᏍᏗ(tsuhnatsosdi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese:Toan(syun¹)

  Hokkien:Toan(zh-min-nan)(sng),Toan(zh-min-nan)(soan)

  Mandarin:Toan(zh)(suān)

• Czech:kyselý(cs)
• Danish:sur(da)
• Dolgan:аһыы
• Dutch:zuur(nl)
• Erzya:чапамо(čapamo)
• Esperanto:acida(eo),acerba(eo)
• Estonian:hapu
• Faroese:súrur
• Fi gian:wiwi
• Finnish:hapan(fi),kirpeä(fi)
• French:aigre(fr),sur(fr)
• Galician:acedo(gl),cedizom,agre(gl)m,muciom,chirlom,asmom
• Georgian:მჟავე(mžave)
• German:sauer(de),herb(de),säuerlich(de)
• Greek:ξινός(el)m(xinós)

  Ancient:στρυφνός(struphnós)

• Hawaiian:ʻawa,ʻawaʻawa
• Hebrew:חָמוּץ(he)(khamútz)
• Higaonon:mapodos
• Hiligaynon:maaslum
• Hindi:खट्टा(hi)(khaṭṭā)
• Hungarian:savanyú(hu)
• Ibanag:nassem
• Icelandic:súr(is)
• Ido:acerba(io)
• Ilocano:naalsem
• Indonesian:asam(id)
• Ingrian:hapan,habrastava
• Ingush:миста(mista)
• Irish:géar
• Italian:agro(it)
• Japanese:すっぱい(ja)(suppai),Toan っぱい(ja)(suppai)
• Javanese:kecut(jv)
• Kapampangan:maslam
• Kazakh:қышқыл(kk)(qyşqyl)
• Khinalug:мицӏ(mic̣)
• Khmer:ខ្មេះ(km)(khmeh)
• Kinaray-a:aslëm
• Korean:시다(ko)(sida),신(ko)(sin)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish:تِرش(tirş)

  Northern Kurdish:tirş(ku)

• Kyrgyz:кычкыл(ky)(kıckıl)
• Lao:ປ້ຽວ(piāu),ສົ້ມ(som)
• Latgalian:skuobs
• Latin:acidus(la)
• Latvian:skābs(lv)m
• Laz:მჟაი(mjai)
• Lithuanian:rūgštus
• Livonian:appõn
• Lombard:brusch(lmo)
• Lü:ᦉᦳᧄᧉ(ṡum²)
• Macedonian:кисел(kisel)
• Maguindanao:masem
• Malay:asam(ms),masam(ms)
• Maltese:qaresm
• Mansi:

  Northern Mansi:восьрамыӈ(vosʹramyň)

• Maori:kawa(mi)
• Maranao:asem,malasem
• Marathi:आंबट(mr)(āmbaṭ)
• Middle English:sour,sowre
• Minangkabau:masam(min)
• Mingrelian:მჟავე(mžave)
• Mizo:thûr
• Mongolian:исгэлэн(mn)(isgelen)
• Norman:su
• Norwegian:sur(no)
• Occitan:agre(oc)
• Odia:ଆମ୍ବିଳିଆ(āmbiḷiā)
• Old Church Slavonic:кꙑсѣлъ(kysělŭ)
• Old Czech:kysělý
• Old English:āfor,sūr
• Old Norse:súrr
• Ottoman Turkish:اكشی(ekşi),حامض(hamız)
• Pashto:ترش
• Persian:ترش(phát)(torš)
• Plautdietsch:sua
• Polish:kwaśny(pl)
• Portuguese:azedo(pt)
• Quechua:k'allku
• Romanian:acru(ro)
• Romansh:asch
• Russian:ки́слый(ru)(kíslyj)
• S'gaw Karen:ဆံၣ်(hseè)
• Scottish Gaelic:goirt
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:ки̏сеоm

  Roman:kȉseo(sh)m

• Shan:သူမ်ႈ(shn)(sūum)
• Slovak:kyslý(sk)
• Slovene:kisel(sl)
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian:kisały

  Upper Sorbian:kisały

• Southern Altai:кычкыл(kïčkïl)
• Spanish:agrio(es),ácido(es),acídulo(es)m(lightly sour),acidulado(es)m(lightly sour),acedo(es)m,chocoya
• Svan:მჷხიმ(məxim)
• Swedish:sur(sv),syrlig(sv)(slightly sour)
• Tagalog:maasim
• Tahitian:ʻavaʻava
• Tajik:туруш(tg)(turuš)
• Talysh:tırş
• Tat:turş
• Tausug:maaslum
• Tetum:siin
• Thai:เปรี้ยว(th)(bprîao),ส้ม(th)(sôm)
• Tibetan:སྐྱུར་མོ(skyur mo)
• Turkish:ekşi(tr)
• Turkmen:turşy
• Ukrainian:ки́слий(uk)(kýslyj)
• Urdu:کھٹا(khaṭṭā)
• Uzbek:nordon(uz),achchiq(uz)
• Vietnamese:chua(vi)
• Walloon:seur(wa)m
• Waray-Waray:maaslom
• Welsh:egr(cy),sur(cy)
• Western Bukidnon Manobo:mepezes
• Yakut:аһыы(ahıı)
• Yiddish:זויער(zoyer)
• Zazaki:tırş(diq)

made rancid by fermentation, etc.

• Armenian:թթու(hy)(tʻtʻu)
• Bulgarian:вкиснат(vkisnat)
• Catalan:agre(ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Sưu／Sưu(zh)(sōu)

• Czech:zkysaný
• Danish:sur(da)
• Finnish:hapantunut,härskiintynyt(fi)
• French:rance(fr)morf,tourné(fr)m
• Galician:acedo(gl),picado(gl)
• German:sauer(de),sauer vergoren,gesäuert(de),angesäuert
• Greek:ξινισμένος(el)(xinisménos)
• Indonesian:diasami
• Korean:시어진(sieojin)
• Latvian:skābs(lv),skābēts
• Macedonian:ски́снат(skísnat)
• Polish:zjełczały(pl)
• Portuguese:coalhado(pt)
• Russian:проки́сший(ru)m(prokísšij)
• Scottish Gaelic:goirt
• Spanish:agrio(es),acedo(es),acerbo(es),avinagrado(es)
• Swedish:surnad(sv)
• Tibetan:སྐྱུར་མོ(skyur mo)
• Turkish:ekşi(tr)

tasting or smelling rancid

• Armenian:թթու(hy)(tʻtʻu)
• Bulgarian:вкиснат(vkisnat)
• Catalan:agre(ca)
• Czech:zkyslý
• Danish:sur(da)
• Finnish:hapan(fi),hapantunut,härski(fi)
• French:rance(fr)
• Galician:ábragom
• German:sauer(de),ranzig(de),übelriechend,garstig(de)(poetic)
• Greek:ξινισμένος(el)m(xinisménos)
• Irish:géar
• Latvian:skābs(lv),skābēts
• Macedonian:ски́снат(skísnat)
• Portuguese:rançoso(pt)
• Romanian:acru(ro)
• Scottish Gaelic:goirt
• Spanish:agrio(es)
• Swedish:sur(sv),surnad(sv)
• Turkish:acımış(tr)(if bitter),bayat(tr),ekşi(tr)(if sour)
• Zazaki:beyat

peevish or bad-tempered

• Bulgarian:раздразнителен(bg)(razdraznitelen)
• Czech:zahořklý,mrzutý(cs)
• Danish:sur(da)
• Finnish:nyrpeä(fi),nyreä,hapan(fi)
• French:acerbe(fr)morf,acariâtre(fr)morf,revêche(fr)morf
• Galician:rabudom,rabechudom
• German:bitter(de),unwirsch(de),verdrießlich(de),sauertöpfisch(de),verbittert(de),übellaunig(de)
• Greek:ξινός(el)m(xinós)
• Korean:비뚤어지다(ko)(bittureojida)
• Latvian:skābs(lv)
• Macedonian:ки́сел(kísel)
• Maori:ngākau kawa,ngākaukawa
• Portuguese:carrancudo(pt)
• Scottish Gaelic:gruamach
• Swedish:sur(sv),grinig(sv)
• Turkish:asık suratlı(tr)

(of soil) excessively acidic and thus infertile

• Bulgarian:киселинен(kiselinen)
• Danish:sur(da)
• Finnish:hapan(fi)
• German:sauer(de),versauert(de)
• Greek:όξινος(el)(óxinos)
• Latvian:skābs(lv)
• Macedonian:киселаf(kisela)
• Portuguese:ácido(pt)
• Romanian:acid(ro)
• Swedish:försurad
• Turkish:asitli(tr)

(of petroleum) containing excess sulfur

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch:^{(pleaseverify)}wrang(nl)
• Lithuanian:^{(pleaseverify)}rūgštumasm,^{(pleaseverify)}rūgštus
• Mongolian:^{(pleaseverify)}гашуун(mn)(gašuun)

See also

Basic tastes in English(layout·text)
sweet	sour	salty	bitter	spicy	savory

Noun

sour(countableanduncountable,pluralsours)

1. Thesensationof a sourtaste.

   (Can we add anexamplefor this sense?)

2. Adrinkmade withwhiskey,lemonorlimejuiceandsugar.

   (Can we add anexamplefor this sense?)

3. (by extension)Any cocktail containinglemonorlime juice.
4. Asweet/candyhaving a sharply sour taste.
   • 2022,Michael N. Riley,ARCH BOOK I(page 78)

     “You know I like them candies, especially the lemonsours.”

5. A sour or acid substance; whatever produces a painful effect.
   • 1590,Edmund Spenser,“Book I, Canto III”, inThe Faerie Queene.[…],London:[…][John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC:

     For many Years of Sorrow can dispense;
     A Dram of Sweet is worth a Pound ofSour

6. Theacidicsolutionused in souring fabric.

Derived terms

• amaretto sour
• Boston sour
• laundry sour
• pisco sour
• whiskey sour

Translations

the sensation of a sour taste

• Bulgarian:кисел вкус(kisel vkus)
• Catalan:acidesa(ca)
• German:Säure(de)f
• Macedonian:ки́селостf(kíselost)
• Portuguese:azedume(pt)m
• Romanian:acreală(ro)f
• Spanish:acidez(es)
• Swedish:surt(sv)
• Tagalog:asim(tl)
• Telugu:పులుపు(te)(pulupu)

a drink made with whiskey, lemon or lime juice and sugar

• German:Whiskey Sauerm
• Swedish:Whiskey sourc

Verb

sour(third-person singular simple presentsours,present participlesouring,simple past and past participlesoured)

1. (transitive)To make sour.

   Too much lemon juice willsourthe recipe.

2. (intransitive)To become sour.
   • 1720,Jonathan Swift,To Stella, on transcribing my Poems:

     So the sun's heat, with different powers, / Ripens the grape, the liquorsours.

3. (transitive)Tospoilormar;to makedisenchanted.
   • 1611April (first recorded performance),William Shakespeare,“The Tragedie of Cymbeline”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene v]:

     Tosouryour happiness I must report, / The queen is dead.

   • 1749,Henry Fielding,The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling,volume(please specify |volume=I to VI),London:A[ndrew]Millar,[…],→OCLC:

     He was prudent and industrious, and so good a husbandman, that he might have led a very easy and comfortable life, had not an arrant vixen of a wifesouredhis domestic quiet.

4. (intransitive)To becomedisenchanted.

   We broke up after our relationshipsoured.

5. (transitive)To make (soil) cold and unproductive.
   • 1832,Joseph Harrison, Sir Joseph Paxton,The Horticultural Register,page396:

     stagnant water, which tends tosourthe soil

6. Tomacerate(lime) and render it fit forplasterormortar.
7. (transitive)To process (fabric) afterbleaching,usinghydrochloric acidorsulphuric acidto wash out thelime.

Conjugation

Conjugation ofsour

infinitive	(to)sour
	present tense	past tense
1st-personsingular	sour	soured
2nd-personsingular	sour,sourest†	soured,souredst†
3rd-personsingular	sours,soureth†	soured
plural	sour
subjunctive	sour	soured
imperative	sour	—
participles	souring	soured

^†Archaicorobsolete.

Derived terms

• besour
• unsour

Translations

to make sour

• Bulgarian:подкислявам(podkisljavam)
• Finnish:tehdähappamaksi,hapannuttaa,hapantaa
• German:säuern(de),versäuern,ansäuern,durchsäuern
• Hungarian:savanyít(hu)
• Ingrian:hapannoittaa,hapantaa
• Irish:géaraigh
• Italian:inasprire(it)
• Maori:whakakawa
• Portuguese:azedar(pt)
• Spanish:agriar(es)
• Swedish:syra(sv)
• Welsh:suro(cy)

to become sour

• Bulgarian:вкисвам се(vkisvam se)
• Finnish:hapantua(fi)
• Galician:picar(gl),rever(gl)
• German:säuern(de),versäuern,sauer vergären,sauer werden,umschlagen(de),einen Stich bekommen,umkippen(de)
• Ingrian:hapata,hapantua
• Irish:géaraigh
• Latin:acescō
• Latvian:skābt
• Maori:ī
• Old Church Slavonic:осꙑрѣтиpf(osyrěti)
• Ottoman Turkish:حامضلانمق(hamızlanmak)
• Polish:gorzkniećimpf,zgorzkniećpf,kwaśniećimpf,skwaśniećpf,pokwaśniećpf
• Portuguese:azedar(pt)
• Swedish:surna(sv)
• Welsh:suro(cy)

to make disenchanted

• Finnish:pilata(fi),särkeä(fi),rikkoa(fi)
• German:verderben(de),beeinträchtigen(de)

to become disenchanted

• Finnish:pilaantua(fi),mennä pilalle,taantua(fi),särkyä(fi)
• German:sich verschlechtern,schiefgehen(de),mißlingen(de)
• Italian:deteriorarsi,degenerare(it)
• Swedish:surna(sv)

Anagrams

• Ruso,ours

French

Adjective

sour(femininesoure,masculine pluralsours,feminine pluralsoures)

1. (nonstandard)Alternative form ofsûr

Preposition

sour

1. (nonstandard)Alternative form ofsur

Middle English

Etymology 1

FromOld Englishsūr.

Alternative forms

• sower,soure,sowre

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/suːr/

Adjective

sour

1. sour,acidic,bitter
2. foul-smelling,rancid
3. fermented, curdled
4. unpleasant,unattractive

Derived terms

• sour dogh

Descendants

• English:sour
• Scots:sour

Etymology 2

FromOld Frenchessorer.

Verb

sour

1. Alternative form ofsoren(“to soar”)

Romansch

Alternative forms

• sora(Rumantsch Grischun,Sursilvan,Sutsilvan,Surmiran)

Etymology

FromLatinsoror.

Noun

sourf(pluralsours)

1. (Puter,Vallader)sister

Coordinate terms

• (in terms of gender):
  • (Rumantsch Grischun,Sursilvan,Sutsilvan,Surmiran,Vallader)frar
  • (Puter)frer