1
as in aching
causing or feeling bodily pain
my legs are sore after that long walk yesterday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angry
feeling or showing anger
promise not to get sore if I tell you what I really think of your new hairstyle?
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3
as in cynical
having or showing deep-seated resentment
he's been sore ever since she insulted him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in terribly
to a great degree
I was sore afraid we'd never make it home
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in swelling
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sore
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Evidence of the wealth tax’s benefits was mixed at best, and France had been in sore need of reform.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025
There is also the running sore that is HS2, a project originally intended to build a new high-speed rail between London and cities in the Midlands and north of England, but which will now only run to Birmingham and is both years behind schedule and billions of pounds over budget.
—Ian King, CNBC, 9 July 2025
Jessica Campbell-Salley, Outside, 19 Dec. 2025
The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments in September in the case of a man who entered a hospital with COVID-19 in January 2022, developed an infection from a bed sore and died that March.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sore
Adjective
Back in the lineup after missing the majority of the 2025/26 season through injury, the German was a sight for sore eyes.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Evidence of the wealth tax’s benefits was mixed at best, and France had been in sore need of reform.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Meanwhile, right guard Kevin Dotson (chest contusion) and defensive tackle Poona Ford (sore groin) were riding stationary bikes after coming away sore from Tuesday’s joint practice with the Cowboys.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025
There is also the running sore that is HS2, a project originally intended to build a new high-speed rail between London and cities in the Midlands and north of England, but which will now only run to Birmingham and is both years behind schedule and billions of pounds over budget.
—Ian King, CNBC, 9 July 2025
Noun
My quads are a little sore from a morning of fat biking, but my body is relaxed after a truly excellent massage at the on-site spa.
—Jessica Campbell-Salley, Outside, 19 Dec. 2025
The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments in September in the case of a man who entered a hospital with COVID-19 in January 2022, developed an infection from a bed sore and died that March.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sore
Adjective
-
And no matter what the ultimate tally, every individual is an aching, terrible loss.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The performance — nuanced, aching and full of soul — has re-energized her place in the industry, and as Oscar season builds momentum, Hudson finds herself back in the Oscar conversation.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, members of Congress are likely to face some angry, dissatisfied voters — with the year’s first major primary day fast approaching on March 3.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In his experiences and chronicles of the great ideological battles of the twentieth century, Curzio Malaparte was a shape-shifter—pitiless, clinical, cynical, unsentimental, indifferent to morality and idealism.—
Leah Downey,
The New York Review of Books,
7 Feb. 2026
-
That didn’t happen, not least because of the cynical fecklessness of regional powers.—
Juan Pablo Spinetto,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nor do rising physician fees explain the swelling expenses.—
Chris Pope,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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In December, 2022, for instance, a public-health nurse who visited the home for a different welfare check was surprised to find a five-month-old child with hydrocephalus, a swelling of the head, who required immediate emergency-room attention.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The table springs into action to defend him and go after Michael (a wart with eyes), first with Johnny dragging him for using the fact that someone was forced into the closet against them.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
But most of these John Harbaugh-thirsty franchises have an ugly wart or two as well.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Four years later, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Gabrielle Daleman could only bury her face in her hands after the Canadian’s disappointing free skate, her painful reaction beamed to a global audience.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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As painful as this pain deep in the heart is, the healing has already begun with all the outpouring of love, prayers, and support.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Depictions of such raw humanity have the capacity to shape us into more compassionate community members, more thoughtful voters and more indignant seekers of justice.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
By documenting not just his actions but showing the privilege his race, religion and background afford him in comparison to his colleagues, the film reveals the inherent inequality in whose stories get told, and who’s allowed to be angry, indignant and morally correct.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sore. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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