previous / next
soar ~ sore ~ sour
[‘Soar’ and ‘sore’ have the same pronunciation, as in “door”; ‘sour’, however, rhymes with “power”]
“Soar” (verb) is ‘to go up quickly to a high level; (of birds and aeroplanes) to fly high up in the sky, floating on air currents; (of a person’s feelings or hopes) to be very happy and hopeful; (of a building or structure) to look very tall and impressive’,
(a kite soaring high)
e.g.
The price of oil has soared in this month.
We watched the jet soar high above the clouds.
____________________
“Sore”, as an adjective, means ‘(of a part of a body) very painful because of infection; (of a subject, point, matter, etc.) that makes someone angry or upset when talked to them about it’; as a noun, it is ‘a painful place on one’s body, looks red and soft, caused by some infection or wound’,
a sore on the lip
e.g.
Today’s lecture is cancelled because the speaker has a sore throat.
The children’s hands are all sore from chopping wood
My friend is still sore (with me) because I didn’t tell him about my girl friend. [i.e. my friend is angry with me … and sulking]
{“Stick/stand out like a sore thumb’ is not a thumb with a sore on lit or that is painful, it means ‘someone or something that is very noticeable because they look different from others, e.g. an old shack sticks out like a sore thumb in a posh residential block.}
____________________
“Sour”, as an adjective, means ‘(of something) having a bitter taste like the taste of a lemon, (of a fruit) that is not ripe, i.e. not ready for eating; (of milk or other food items) having a bad taste and smell because it has been kept a long time, or it is spoiled; (of people’s relationship) becoming less enjoyable or less satisfactory, not pleasant and/or friendly’; as a verb, it is (of people’s relationship) to become unfriendly, unsuitable or unfavourable’,
a sour face
e.g.
In hot weather, milk goes sour quickly.
These grapes are picked early, and so they are sour.
She had such a sour expression on her face that nobody likes to be friends with her.
<<< Back to List S / Next sock ~ sock >>>
<<< Back to main page
About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
