Meaning & use
so sour
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
having a very sharp, acid taste like a lemon or vinegar.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb such as be, taste, or smell: The sauce tastes so sour.
Patterns
- taste so sour
- be so sour
- so sour that ...
The lemon was so sour that my mouth puckered.
This yogurt has gone so sour that I can't eat it.
The grapes were so sour that the children refused to finish them.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
feeling or showing bitterness, bad temper, or disappointment.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb, often about a person's mood or expression: He looked so sour after losing the game.
Patterns
- be so sour about something
- look so sour
She was so sour about the decision that she stopped speaking to us.
He looked so sour that I knew he had received bad news.
Common combinations
- taste so sour
- The green apple tastes so sour that it makes your face twist.
- go so sour
- The milk went so sour that we had to pour it out.
- so sour about
- He is still so sour about not getting the job.
- so sour that
- The candy was so sour that my eyes watered.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tart
- Similar sharp taste, but 'tart' is often used for pleasant fruitiness; 'so sour' is stronger and usually negative.
- bitter
- A different taste: bitter is like coffee or dark chocolate, while sour is like lemon.
- acidic
- More technical and neutral; it describes chemical acidity rather than the sharp taste itself.
Opposites
Word family
- sourness noun
- The quality of being sour.
- sourly adverb
- In a bitter or bad-tempered way.
Commonly confused: so sour or sore?
so sour vs sore
'Sore' means painful or upset, while 'sour' means sharp-tasting or bitter.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
'So sour' means very sharp-tasting or spoiled, so throwing it away makes sense. The other options contradict the meaning of sour.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “so sour”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.