- having an acid taste, resembling that of vinegar, lemon juice, etc.; tart.
- rendered acid or affected by fermentation; fermented.
- producing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is not bitter, salt, or sweet.
- characteristic of something fermented: a sour smell.
- distasteful or disagreeable; unpleasant.
- below standard; poor: It was a sour effort all around, the kind of effort that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
- harsh in spirit or temper; acrimonious; disagreeable; peevish.
- (of soil) having excessive acidity.
- (of gasoline or the like) contaminated by sulfur compounds.
- off-pitch; badly produced: a sour note.
- something that is sour.
- any of various cocktails consisting typically of whiskey or gin with lemon or lime juice and sugar and sometimes soda water, often garnished with a slice of orange, a maraschino cherry, or both.
- any of various beers with a particularly acidic or tart taste, made so by acid-producing bacteria and yeast in the brew: Sours are a good choice to go with deep-fried bar food.
- an acid or an acidic substance used in laundering and bleaching to neutralize alkalis and to decompose residual soap or bleach.
- to become sour, rancid, mildewed, etc.; spoil: Milk sours quickly in warm weather. The laundry soured before it was ironed.
- to become unpleasant or strained; worsen; deteriorate: Relations between the two countries have soured.
- to become bitter, disillusioned, or disinterested: I guess I soured when I learned he was married.My loyalty soured after his last book.
- (of soil) to develop excessive acidity.
- to make sour; cause sourness in: What do they use to sour the mash?
- to cause spoilage in; rot: Defective cartons soured the apples.
- to make bitter, disillusioned, or disagreeable: One misadventure needn't have soured him. That swindle soured a great many potential investors.
- having or denoting a sharp biting taste like that of lemon juice or vinegar
- made acid or bad, as in the case of milk or alcohol, by the action of microorganisms
- having a rancid or unwholesome smell
- (of a person's temperament) sullen, morose, or disagreeable
- (esp of the weather or climate) harsh and unpleasant
- disagreeable; distasteful
- (of land, etc) lacking in fertility, esp due to excessive acidity
- (of oil, gas, or petrol) containing a relatively large amount of sulphur compounds
- to become unfavourable or inharmonious
- something sour
- any of several iced drinks usually made with spirits, lemon juice, and ice
- an acid used in laundering and bleaching clothes or in curing animal skins
- to make or become sour
- a variant spelling of Sur
