Standard Lemma guide

sourpuss

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsaʊə(ɹ)ˌpʊs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who is habitually gloomy, sullen or miserable; a grouch; a scowling person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make a gloomy, sullen or miserable facial expression; to scowl.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

someone with a habitually sullen or gloomy expression

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: picklepuss, gloomy Gus, pouter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwelcome person, persona non grata

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вечно кисел човек (večno kisel čovek) — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 悶悶不樂的人 /闷闷不乐的人 (mènmènbùlè de rén) — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 愁眉苦臉的人 /愁眉苦脸的人 (chóuméikǔliǎn de rén) — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Finnish: hapannaama — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • French: grincheux — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • French: râleur — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • German: Miesepeter — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • German: Sauertopf — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Ancient Greek: ὄξος (óxos) — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Polish: maruda — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Polish: zrzęda — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Romanian: acritură — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Spanish: cascarrabias — person who is gloomy, sullen, or miserable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 愁眉苦臉 /愁眉苦脸 (chóuméikǔliǎn) — make a gloomy facial expression
  • Chinese Mandarin: 板著臉 /板著脸 — make a gloomy facial expression
  • Finnish: murjottaa — make a gloomy facial expression