Sore describes something that hurts when you touch it or move it. After playing hard at recess, your muscles might feel sore the next day. When you have a sore throat, it hurts to swallow. A sore spot on your knee throbs if you bump it.

The pain from being sore is usually dull and achy rather than sharp and stabbing. It's the kind of discomfort that makes you wince when you press on it or use that part of your body. Athletes often wake up sore after a tough game. Your fingers might get sore from writing too much, or your feet sore from walking in uncomfortable shoes.

Sore can also describe feeling upset or resentful about something. A sore loser gets angry or sulky when they lose instead of accepting defeat gracefully. If you're sore about not getting invited to a party, you feel hurt and bothered by it. When someone is described as sore with another person, it means they're nursing hurt feelings or holding a grudge.

The word has an old-fashioned use meaning “severe” or “serious,” though you'll mainly see this in older books. People might describe a sore trial or a sore need for something, meaning desperate or urgent.