sour

Having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar.

• This lemon tastes sour.
• Do you like sour candy?
• The sauce was too sour, so I added sugar.

Similar words: tart, acidic, sharp

Opposites: sweet

Common phrases: sour taste, sour lemon, sour candy, taste sour

Changed by bacterial activity so that it has an unpleasant acid taste and is no longer fresh.

• The milk has gone sour.
• I threw away the sour cream from the broken fridge.
• Did the milk turn sour overnight?

How to use it: go/turn sour (The milk went sour after a day in the heat.)

Similar words: spoiled, off

Opposites: fresh

Common phrases: sour milk, go sour, turn sour

Unpleasant or unfriendly because of unhappiness or anger.

• He was in a sour mood.
• She gave me a sour look when I interrupted.
• His sour expression softened when the children arrived.

Similar words: grumpy, ill-tempered, sullen

Opposites: cheerful, friendly

Common phrases: sour mood, sour expression, sour look, sour old man

Having an unpleasant stale taste or smell.

• His breath smelled sour.
• A sour smell came from the damp towels.
• The old nuts left a sour taste in my mouth.

Similar words: rancid, stale

Opposites: fresh

Common phrases: sour breath, sour smell, sour odour

To develop an acid taste or become unfit to eat or drink through this change.

• Milk can sour in warm weather.
• The cream soured while we were away.
• Has the milk started to sour?

Similar words: go sour, turn sour

Common phrases: milk can sour, cream may sour, begin to sour

To give food or drink an acid taste, or cause it to lose its freshness.

• Lemon juice will sour the milk.
• The warm air soured the cream.
• She soured the sauce with a spoonful of vinegar.

How to use it: sour something with something (You can sour the milk with a little lemon juice.)

Similar words: acidify

Common phrases: sour the milk, sour the sauce, sour something with