English · Word Candidate

sore

/sɔː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: sorer · sorest · sores · soring

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Causing pain or discomfort; painfully sensitive.

Adjective

Examples

Her feet were sore from walking so far.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Sensitive; tender; easily pained, grieved, or vexed; very susceptible of irritation.

Adjective

Examples

Malice and hatred are very fretting and vexatious, and apt to make our minds sore and uneasy.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Sorely.

Adverb

Examples

But he was paying the penalty laid on His father's crime; for one time, cutting trees Alone among the hills, he spurned the prayer Of the Hamadryas Nymph, who, weeping sore, With earnest words besought him not to cut The trunk of an oak tree, which, with herself Coeval, had endured for many a year.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

An injured, infected, inflamed or diseased patch of skin.

Noun

Examples

They put ointment and a bandage on the sore.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “sore” mean?

Causing pain or discomfort; painfully sensitive.

Is “sore” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.