to sour on
- phrasal verb
- /ˈsaʊər ɑn/
- Informal
- After hearing about the scandals, I started to sour on the politician I once admired.
But you know, Carthage began kind of souring on me.
- But you know, Carthage began kind of souring on me.
Examples
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Australia has no such laws protecting its consumers, so for residents finding themselves soured on a car, there may be no recourse.
Blog text (4) -
I wasn't as sour on Windows Vista as so many of its critics.
Blog text (2) -
What turned you sour on me?
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It's now just expanding and I started to sour on it a little bit.
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I know you're going sour on me.
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Should the dealership sour on your attempts, then head straight for the manufacturer, again in writing.
Blog text (4) -
Though an early champion of black civil rights, Dubois eventually soured on America, joined the Communist Party, and later left altogether for Africa.
Academic text (2003) -
It's a rich move, but it just seems odd that the Knicks would sour on Lin that quickly, knowing what he means to them at the gate.
Blog text (28) -
In later years, as Long gradually backed away from his previous pro-emigration stance, Turner became disillusioned and soured on the United States.
Academic text (2011) -
Contributing to this newly resurgent electoral instability was the impact of the Quebec sponsorship scandal, as Canadian voters, especially in Quebec, soured on a party that appeared corrupt after too long in power without a viable opposition.
Academic text (2004)
Synonyms
To feel a very strong dislike for someone or something
Strongly dislike and be unable to bear something or someone
To not like someone or something strongly
To strongly dislike and have no respect for someone or something
To think something is wrong or bad and show it
To start opposing someone you once supported
To dislike someone or something very strongly
To show dislike and no respect for someone or something
To feel a very strong dislike for someone or something
To hate something very much
How Negative
Surface Forms
Morphology
sour + on
The sense 'become unfavorable toward' is directly related to the adjective 'sour' (negative, displeased) with 'on' marking the target, so the overall meaning is partly inferable from the parts. However, the use of 'sour' as a verb + particle construction is slightly metaphorical and requires recognizing the change-of-state usage, so a B1 learner who knows the words might guess the meaning but not reliably without exposure.
Etymology
Sour on comes from the simple idea of food that goes bad and becomes sour. When food turns sour you stop liking it, so to sour on someone or something means to 'stop liking' them or feel 'less positive'.