sore

[sawr, sohr]

adjective

sorer, sorest 

1. physically painful or sensitive, as a wound, hurt, or diseased part.

   a sore arm.

   Synonyms: tender

2. suffering bodily pain from wounds, bruises, etc..

   He is sore because of all that exercise.

3. suffering mental pain; grieved, distressed, or sorrowful.

   to be sore at heart.

   Synonyms: vexed, pained, hurt, hurt, aggrieved

4. causing great mental pain, distress, or sorrow.

   a sore bereavement.

   Synonyms: grievous, depressing, painful

5. causing very great suffering, misery, hardship, etc..

   sore need.

6. Informal.,  annoyed; irritated; offended; angered.

   He was sore because he had to wait.

7. causing annoyance or irritation.

   a sore subject.

noun

1. a sore spot or place on the body.

   Synonyms: wound, ulcer, abscess, inflammation

2. a source or cause of grief, distress, irritation, etc.

adverb

1. Archaic.,  sorely.

sore

/ sɔː /

adjective

1. (esp of a wound, injury, etc) painfully sensitive; tender

2. causing annoyance

   a sore point

3. resentful; irked

   he was sore that nobody believed him

4. urgent; pressing

   in sore need

5. (postpositive) grieved; distressed

6. causing grief or sorrow

noun

1. a painful or sensitive wound, injury, etc

2. any cause of distress or vexation

adverb

1. archaic,  direly; sorely (now only in such phrases as sore pressed, sore afraid )

Other Word Forms

• soreness noun
• unsore adjective
• unsorely adverb
• unsoreness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sore¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective, noun, and adverb); Old English sār; cognate with Dutch zeer, German sehr, Old Norse sārr

Word History and Origins

Origin of sore¹

Old English sār; related to Old Norse sārr, Old High German sēr, Gothic sair sore, Latin saevus angry

Idioms and Phrases

• sight for sore eyes
• stick out (like a sore thumb)

Example Sentences

County, 2.8% of emergency room visits were for illnesses such as fever plus a cough or sore throat, up from 2.2% four weeks earlier.

From Los Angeles Times

It can appear as open sores, red patches, rashes, growths, or bumps.

From Salon

I returned from a cross-country trip with a razor blade sore throat and a stubborn headache, followed by aches and pains.

From Los Angeles Times

The financial gap to the Champions League, though, is undoubtedly going to be a sore one.

From BBC

These include unexplained skin lesions, feeling larvae move within a wound or the nose, mouth or eyes and seeing maggots in an open sore.

From BBC

Related Words

• aching 
• bruised www.thesaurus.com
• hurting www.thesaurus.com
• inflamed www.thesaurus.com
• painful 
• sharp 
• tender 
• uncomfortable