sour grapes en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes, in which a fox, unable to reach grapes it is seeking, convinces itself that they must have been unripe (therefore, sour) all along and so not worth trying for in the first place.
Meanings
- (plural, plural-only) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see sour, grapes.
- (idiomatic, plural, plural-only) Things that somebody pretends to despise because they cannot obtain or have them.
-
(idiomatic, plural, plural-only) A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.
His absence was a grievous setback for Liverpool, who had looked the more dangerous team until that point, and it would not be sour grapes for the losers to think that was the moment the game started to swing away from them.
2018 May 26, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):Despite the egos of individual scientists, the jealousies and the sour grapes, science had worked pretty much the way it was supposed to.
2010, Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway, chapter 2, in Merchants of Doubt:I think his comments about that new car are just sour grapes because he can't afford it.
Relateds
verjuice · backward rationalization · accismus
Translations (55)
de Herling (acid grapes) · ja すっぱい葡萄 (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · hi खट्टे अंगूर (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · it uva acerba (acid grapes) · id serigala dengan anggur (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ru зе́лен виногра́д (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · vi chùm nho còn xanh (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · vec agresta (acid grapes) · es uvas verdes (acid grapes) · tr koruk (acid grapes) · fi happamia, sanoi kettu pihlajanmarjoista (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · hy ժուռ (acid grapes) · xcl խակ խաղող (acid grapes) · hy ազոխ (acid grapes) · he חַרְצָן (acid grapes) · ja 負け惜しみ (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ru ки́слый виногра́д (acid grapes) · fi raa’at viinirypäleet (acid grapes) · ro aguride (acid grapes) · sv surt sa räven (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · he בֹּסֶר (acid grapes) · axm ժուռ (acid grapes) · mk кисело е грозјето (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ro struguri acri (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · pt uvas verdes (acid grapes) · is þau eru súr, sagði refurinn (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ro struguri verzi (acid grapes) · az kal üzüm (acid grapes) · el αγουρίδα (acid grapes) · hi खट्टे अंगूर (acid grapes) · kmr jûr (acid grapes) · ga silíní searbha (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · arc בּוּסְרָא (acid grapes) · da sure rønnebær (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ar حِصْرِم (acid grapes) · syc ܒܣܪܐ (acid grapes) · de saure Traube (acid grapes) · fa غوره (acid grapes) · sq gresë (acid grapes) · de unreife Traube (acid grapes) · grc ὄμφᾰξ (acid grapes) · xcl ազոխ (acid grapes) · pl kwaśne winogrona (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · cu отрочьникъ (acid grapes) · ro struguri acri (acid grapes) · hu savanyú a szőlő (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · ru за́висть (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · kmr cûr (acid grapes) · ru притво́рное равноду́шие (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · pt dor de cotovelo (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · cy cig cas yw cig coch (expression of disdain for something one cannot have) · lzz კოხა (acid grapes) · arc בֻּסְרָא (acid grapes) · axm ազոխ (acid grapes) · ca agrassos (acid grapes)