Sore
/sɔːr/
adjectivenounA2
Definition
Sore describes a place on your body that hurts or feels uncomfortable, usually because it is injured, tired, or infected. It can be a feeling (adjective) or a physical spot like a cut or wound (noun). People often say muscles are sore after exercise or that they have a sore throat when it hurts to swallow.
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Feeling pain or discomfort in a part of the body
- •After running, my legs were very sore.
- •She has a sore throat and finds it hard to swallow.
- •His muscles feel sore after lifting heavy boxes.
A painful spot, wound, or inflamed area on the skin or body
- •He has a cold sore on his lip.
- •The nurse cleaned the sore on her arm.
- •The sore was red and swollen.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "sore" like "hurt" (A1 word), but usually for a small, specific part of the body that feels pain or discomfort
- ✓Picture touching a small red spot on your skin that feels tender or painful
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you have a cold and your throat hurts or after you exercise and your muscles feel tired and painful
- ✓Sounds like "soar" but with an "r" at the end → imagine your body saying "sore" when it wants rest because it hurts
- ✓Remember when you fall and get a scrape that stings—that is a sore spot
- ✓NOT like "pain" (general feeling anywhere), "sore" is usually a clear, local spot or muscle that hurts
- ✓NOT like "ache" (a dull, long-lasting pain), "sore" can be sharp or tender and often from recent use or injury
Try Other Words
- •Painful: feeling pain (Use when you want to describe something causing pain but not necessarily a specific spot)
- •Aching: dull, continuous pain (Use when the pain is more gentle and long-lasting rather than sharp or tender)
- •Tender: sensitive to touch or pressure (Use when the area hurts when touched or pressed)
- •Injured: hurt or damaged (Use when the sore is caused by an injury)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) — "sore" is a simple base word
- •Etymology: From Old English "sār," meaning painful or wounded
- •Historical development: Used for many centuries to describe physical pain or wounds
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe muscle pain, wounds, or any painful part of the body
- •Key insight: A simple, everyday word to describe small or local pain or discomfort
Reflect & Connect
•When do you usually feel sore in your body? How do you take care of sore muscles or wounds?
•Can something be emotionally "sore" like physical pain? How do people use the word "sore" in feelings or arguments?
Fill in the blanks
1.After a long day of walking, my feet were sore and ___ to touch.
2.She said her throat was sore because she had a ___.
3.When muscles are sore, it usually means they have been used too ___ or hurt.
4.A cold sore is a small ___ that appears on the lips or face.
5.He felt sore after the game, but the pain went away after a good ___.
6.If a sore is infected, it might become ___ and need medicine.
7.People often say "I'm sore all over" when they feel ___ in many parts of their body.