sour look

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A facial expression that shows you are annoyed, unhappy, or disapproving.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a sour look' or 'sour looks'.

   Patterns

   • give someone a sour look
   • with a sour look
   • a sour look on someone's face

   When I told her the news, she gave me a sour look.

   He walked into the room with a sour look on his face.

   She shot him a sour look when he interrupted her.

2. 2nouncountable

   An expression or reaction that shows strong disapproval or distaste.

   Grammar: Often used with 'on': 'a sour look on the idea'.

   Patterns

   • a sour look on something
   • give something a sour look

   The critics gave the new policy a sour look.

   There was a sour look on his face when he saw the bill.

Word forms

Common combinations

give someone a sour look

She gave me a sour look when I mentioned the delay.

with a sour look

He agreed, but with a sour look.

a sour look on someone's face

There was a sour look on her face all evening.

shoot someone a sour look

He shot her a sour look across the table.

Synonyms and how they differ

scowl

A scowl is an angry, dark expression with the brows pulled down; a sour look is milder and more about displeasure.

grimace

A grimace is a quick twisting of the face, often from pain or disgust; a sour look can last longer and shows disapproval.

frown

A frown is mainly a downward turn of the mouth showing concentration or slight anger; a sour look is broader and clearly negative.

Opposites

Word family

sourly adverb

In a sour or bitter way: 'He looked at me sourly.'

sourness noun

The quality of being sour or bitter, often of taste or mood.

Commonly confused: sour look or sore look?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “sour look”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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