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Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see sour, grapes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Things that somebody pretends to despise because they cannot obtain or have them.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, plural, plural-only
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
A putting down or expression of disdain about something that one desires but cannot have.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, plural, plural-only
Examples
- I think his comments about that new car are just sour grapes because he can't afford it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
disparagement of something that is unattainable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disparagement, depreciation, derogation
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.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Albanian:
gresë
— acid grapes
-
Arabic:
حِصْرِم
(ḥiṣrim)
— acid grapes
-
Aramaic:
ܒܣܪܐ
— acid grapes
-
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic:
בֻּסְרָא
(busrā)
— acid grapes
-
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic:
בּוּסְרָא
(busrā)
— acid grapes
-
Armenian:
ազոխ
(azox)
— acid grapes
-
Armenian:
ժուռ
(žuṙ)
— acid grapes
-
Middle Armenian:
ազոխ
(azox)
— acid grapes
-
Middle Armenian:
ժուռ
(žuṙ)
— acid grapes
-
Old Armenian:
խակ խաղող
(xak xałoł)
— acid grapes
-
Old Armenian:
ազոխ
(azox)
— acid grapes
-
Azerbaijani:
kal üzüm
— acid grapes
-
Catalan:
agrassos
— acid grapes
-
Finnish:
raa’at viinirypäleet
— acid grapes
-
German:
saure Traube
— acid grapes
-
German:
unreife Traube
— acid grapes
-
German:
Herling
— acid grapes
-
Greek:
αγουρίδα
(agourída)
— acid grapes
-
Ancient Greek:
ὄμφᾰξ
(ómphăx)
— acid grapes
-
Hebrew:
חַרְצָן
(ḥarṣā́n)
— acid grapes
-
Hebrew:
בֹּסֶר
(boser)
— acid grapes
-
Hindi:
खट्टे अंगूर
(khaṭṭe aṅgūr)
— acid grapes
-
Italian:
uva acerba
— acid grapes
-
Northern Kurdish:
cûr
— acid grapes
-
Northern Kurdish:
jûr
— acid grapes
-
Laz:
კოხა
(ǩoxa)
— acid grapes
-
Old Church Slavonic:
отрочьникъ
(otročĭnikŭ)
— acid grapes
-
Persian:
غوره
(ġure)
— acid grapes
-
Portuguese:
uvas verdes
— acid grapes
-
Romanian:
aguride
— acid grapes
-
Romanian:
struguri acri
— acid grapes
-
Romanian:
struguri verzi
— acid grapes
-
Russian:
ки́слый виногра́д
(kíslyj vinográd)
— acid grapes
-
Spanish:
uvas verdes
— acid grapes
-
Turkish:
koruk
— acid grapes
-
Venetan:
agresta
— acid grapes
-
Danish:
sure rønnebær
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Finnish:
happamia, sanoi kettu pihlajanmarjoista
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Hindi:
खट्टे अंगूर
(khaṭṭe aṅgūr)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Hungarian:
savanyú a szőlő
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Icelandic:
þau eru súr, sagði refurinn
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Indonesian:
serigala dengan anggur
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Irish:
silíní searbha
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Japanese:
負け惜しみ
(makeoshimi)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Japanese:
すっぱい葡萄
(suppai budō)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Macedonian:
кисело е грозјето
(kiselo e grozjeto)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Polish:
kwaśne winogrona
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Portuguese:
dor de cotovelo
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Romanian:
struguri acri
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Russian:
зе́лен виногра́д
(zélen vinográd)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Russian:
за́висть
(závistʹ)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Russian:
притво́рное равноду́шие
(pritvórnoje ravnodúšije)
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Swedish:
surt sa räven
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Vietnamese:
chùm nho còn xanh
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
-
Welsh:
cig cas yw cig coch
— expression of disdain for something one cannot have
