sour grapes

plural noun

: disparagement of something that has proven unattainable
his criticisms are just sour grapes

Examples of sour grapes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
OpenAI argues that Musk’s lawsuit, as well as his embrace of open source development for AI, is little more than a case of sour grapes after leaving the company. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2024 So this could all be sour grapes or an effort to gain a competitive edge, but the courts will have to decide that. Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 1 Dec. 2024 And listen, the government has a select few people who have some type of sour grapes about things that went on, really in their own lives, frankly. Chloe Melas, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 There’s no trace of the Hepburn-Streisand sour grapes saga. Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sour grapes 

Word History

Etymology

from the fable ascribed to Aesop of the fox who after finding himself unable to reach some grapes he had desired disparaged them as sour

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sour grapes was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near sour grapes

Cite this Entry

“Sour grapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sour%20grapes. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sour grapes

plural noun
: the act of making something seem unimportant after it becomes impossible to gain

More from Merriam-Webster on sour grapes

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!