SORE Synonyms: 435 Similar and Opposite Words

sore 1 of 3

adjective

ˈsȯr

Definition of sore

as in aching

causing or feeling bodily pain my legs are sore after that long walk yesterday

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in angry

feeling or showing anger promise not to get sore if I tell you what I really think of your new hairstyle?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cynical

having or showing deep-seated resentment he's been sore ever since she insulted him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sore

2 of 3

adverb

as in terribly

to a great degree I was sore afraid we'd never make it home

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sore

3 of 3

noun

as in swelling

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Dissimilar Words

as in wart

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sore

Adjective

The arnica in this gel can help treat sore muscles, aches, swelling, or other pains that are bothering you, too. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026 The culture fit piece is perhaps more nebulous but equally important, and while Orgeron fit LSU like a glove, Kelly stuck out like a sore thumb. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Adverb

Toward the end, people grab partners and race around the ballroom in a gallop through a tunnel of arms, an exhilarating experience—especially in heels—that leaves the heart pumping and the quads sore for days. — Valeriya Safronova, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026 Guys come up sore all the time. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026

Noun

A lot of straps on bras for larger chests are super wide and kind of an eye sore, but these are wide enough to hold up the girls comfortably without digging into your shoulders. — Olivia Dubyak, InStyle, 26 June 2026 That drop can be attributed to other regions seeing their fatality rates sore, and in Orlando’s slowing in 2024 and reducing in 2026. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sore

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sore

Adjective

The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of aching

Adjective

Thrillers like 1990's Hunt for Red October and similar fare make submarine hunting look like the most exciting thing this side of pulling a nose hair out of an angry grizzly bear, but the reality is entirely different.

— David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Many Democrats, especially younger ones, are angry at Israel over Gaza.

— Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.

— Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynical

Noun

Susac, whose season is likely over, is currently using crutches while wearing a large black brace on his knee while the swelling goes down.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Compression socks prevent swelling and discomfort in the legs by stimulating circulation.

— Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of swelling

Noun

Without the complication of his father’s political career and (one hopes) without political ambitions of his own, Hunter seems to be expressing something closer to his authentic self, warts and all.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Some blame the faction of party leaders who rallied behind Platner in spite of his warts.

— Julia Terruso, Time, 8 June 2026

Definition of wart

Adjective

His last appearance came in the AFC Championship Game, a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots that ended with a few painful what-ifs hanging in the air for him and the Broncos.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Your husband’s abandonment was surely jarring, painful, and confusing.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

But if state Democratic leaders simply chose a new nominee on their own, voters might be indignant.

— Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
The book-club members roundly disliked it, indignant that the character was being driven mad by perimenopause, as if hormone-replacement therapy didn’t exist.

— Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of indignant

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“Sore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sore. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sore

adjective

adverb

noun

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