Meaning & use
sourly
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Meaning
adverb
In a way that shows bitterness, resentment, or bad temper.
Grammar: Modifies verbs like speak, reply, look, or smile: She replied sourly.
Patterns
- say something sourly
- reply sourly
- look at someone sourly
He looked at me sourly and refused to shake my hand.
'I don't care what you think,' she said sourly.
The manager smiled sourly when he heard the news.
Word forms
| comparative | more sourly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most sourly |
Common combinations
- say something sourly
- She said sourly that she had expected better from him.
- reply sourly
- He replied sourly, without looking up from his paper.
- smile sourly
- The old man smiled sourly at the noisy children.
- look sourly at someone
- She looked sourly at her colleague across the desk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bitterly
- Stronger and more common; it suggests deep anger or disappointment.
- grumpily
- Focuses on bad mood rather than resentment; less sharp than 'sourly'.
- resentfully
- More formal and direct about feeling wronged.
Opposites
Word family
- sour adjective
- Having a sharp taste like lemon, or a bitter, unfriendly manner.
- sourness noun
- The quality of being sour in taste or manner.
Commonly confused: sourly or sorely?
sourly vs sorely
Means 'very much' or 'painfully' (sorely missed); it has nothing to do with bitterness or bad temper.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'sourly' fits best.
Choose one answer.
'Sourly' describes a bitter or resentful manner, so speaking sourly about unfair treatment fits. 'Smiled sourly' is possible but odd with good news; 'tasted sourly' is wrong because 'sourly' describes manner, not taste; 'walked sourly' is unnatural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sourly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.