sore
saw
Sore (adj) means Painful or tender, especially to the touch. Example: “After sitting awkwardly all night, her neck felt stiff and sore.”
adj
1
Painful or tender, especially to the touch.
"After sitting awkwardly all night, her neck felt stiff and sore."
"My legs were sore for days after the hike."
"He has a sore throat and can barely speak."
2
Informal: annoyed, upset, or resentful about something.
"He felt sore that nobody had thanked him for all his hard work."
"Don't be sore at me, I only told you the truth."
"She's still sore about losing the final match."
noun
1
A patch of injured, infected, or inflamed skin.
"The doctor put a clean dressing over the sore on her arm."
"A painful sore appeared on his lip after the long winter hike."
"The boots rubbed a sore on the back of his heel."
How to use sore
Learner’s notes
Common mistake
As slang for "upset," it's informal — avoid it in formal writing (use "resentful" or "annoyed" instead).
When to use it
The "annoyed" sense is casual/American in flavour.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sore throat
sore muscles
a sore loser
sore about it
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Word forms
- Plural
- sores
- Third person singular
- sores
- Past tense
- sored
- Comparative
- sorer
- Superlative
- sorest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
After sitting awkwardly all night, her neck felt stiff and _____.
Etymology
From Old English sar ("pain, wound"), related to German sehr ("very") — the two words split from the same root, one keeping the sense of pain and the other becoming an intensifier.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for sore
See all rhymes for sore →Frequently asked questions
What does “sore” mean?
The word “sore” means painful or tender, especially to the touch.
How do you pronounce “sore”?
“Sore” is pronounced saw (/soɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “sore” in a sentence?
Here is “sore” used in a sentence: “My legs were sore for days after the hike.”
What part of speech is “sore”?
Depending on how it is used, “sore” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “sore” come from?
The word “sore” comes from Old English. From Old English sar ("pain, wound"), related to German sehr ("very") — the two words split from the same root, one keeping the sense of pain and the other becoming an intensifier.
Is “sore” a common word?
“Sore” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “sore” have?
“Sore” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: painful or tender, especially to the touch.
What is the difference between sore and soar?
Sore and soar sound identical but are unrelated. Sore means painful or tender, or refers to a patch of injured or inflamed skin, while soar means to fly or rise high, as in "prices soared." Writing "my muscles are soar" is a common spelling mistake.
What is the difference between sore and painful?
Sore usually describes a duller, tender ache that you feel when a body part is touched, moved, or used, such as sore muscles after exercise or a sore throat. Painful is broader and often stronger, and it can describe anything that causes pain, including events and experiences.
