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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

sourpuss en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsaʊə(ɹ)ˌpʊs/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From sour (“bad-tempered”) + puss (“slang for mouth”).

Meanings

  1. (informal) A person who is habitually gloomy, sullen or miserable; a grouch; a scowling person.
    • They butt heads sometimes because Jenna can be pretty selfish and tone-deaf, and Jeordie can be a little bit of a sourpuss. 2025, S.E. Case, “Bonus Comics”, in Rigsby WI, volume 1: Foothold, →ISBN, page Ladies Be Shopping:
    • [Katara (Mae Whitman):] Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen. [Toph (Jessie Flower):] Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up. [Katara:] Oh, I'm sorry, you think I should be more like you? Like some wild child? 2007 November 2, Joshua Hamilton, “The Runaway” (8:24 from the start), in Giancarlo Volpe, director, Avatar: The Last Airbender, season 3 (Book Three: Fire), episode 7, spoken by Katara and Toph Beifong (Mae Whitman and Jessie Flower):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
sourpusses Number=Plur lexicographic

Translations (13)

de Miesepeter (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · de Sauertopf (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · pl maruda (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · fi hapannaama (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · cmn 悶悶不樂的人 /闷闷不乐的人 (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · bg вечно кисел човек (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · grc ὄξος (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · cmn 愁眉苦臉的人 /愁眉苦脸的人 (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · es cascarrabias (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · ro acritură (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · pl zrzęda (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · fr râleur (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable) · fr grincheux (person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable)

sourpuss en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsaʊə(ɹ)ˌpʊs/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From sour (“bad-tempered”) + puss (“slang for mouth”).

Meanings

  1. (intransitive, uncommon) To make a gloomy, sullen or miserable facial expression; to scowl.
    • “Oh, stop your sourpussing. We got what you needed.” 2006 August 6, Jackson Publick, “Twenty Years to Midnight” (11:16 from the start), in The Venture Bros., season 2, episode 5, spoken by Pirate Captain (Christopher McCulloch):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
sourpusses Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
sourpussed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
sourpussed Tense=Past lexicographic
sourpussing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Translations (3)

cmn 愁眉苦臉 /愁眉苦脸 (make a gloomy facial expression) · cmn 板著臉 /板著脸 (make a gloomy facial expression) · fi murjottaa (make a gloomy facial expression)