Revised as of
1 Jan 2023
If I soar too high, there’s usually a sore or two when I come back to earth. But it’s worth it . . .
Yep, there is a euphoria involved when you soar, rapidly rising to a height then gliding along.
But the sore ankles, knees, ego, when you land sure do make me wonder . . .
You may also want to explore “Soared versus Sword“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Soar versus Sore” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Soar | Sore |
|---|---|
A Gannet Soars by Robert1709 is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. |
Crohnie Sores is Crohnie‘s own work and under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive
Plural for the noun: soars Third person present verb: soars |
Adjective; Adverb; Noun
Plural for the noun: sores |
| Noun: The act of gliding while maintaining altitude, especially the sport of flying a heavier-than-air craft by using ascending currents of air The height attained in gliding Verb, intransitive:
|
Adjective: [Of a part of one’s body] Painful or aching
Adverb:
Noun:
|
| Examples: | |
| Noun: “In 2030, petrol and oil are expected to see a soar in its consumption and still maintain its leading position” (Can). We admired the “apparent soar of the hooded falcon”. – Samuel T. Coleridge The soar of the jet entranced us all. Verb, intransitive: In the distance, beyond a shallow bend, a football soared into the air. She hoped that his heart would soar into the starry sky beside hers. We run across the rooftop hand in hand and then soar into the air. Sometimes they soar at a considerable height, but when fishing they fly fairly low or even very close to the surface. The cost of living continued to soar. |
Adjective: My feet were sore and my head ached. He was sore from the long ride. I didn’t even know they were sore at us. We’re in sore need of him. Adverb: She was indeed sore tired from her trip. He “hath gone sore wounded, and hath left his prize”. – Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King Noun: There’s no point raking over the past and opening old sores. The poor dog’s back was covered with sores. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: soaraway, soaring Adverb: soaringly Noun: soarer |
Adjective: unsore Adverb: sorely, unsorely Noun: sorehead, soreness, unsoreness |
| History of the Word: | |
| Late Middle English, as a shortening of the Old French essorer, which is based on the Latin ex- (out of) + aura (breeze). | Old English sār (noun and adjective), sōre (adverb), are of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch zeer meaning sore and the German sehr meaning very.
The original sense was causing intense pain, grievous, hence the adverbial use. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Soar versus Sore
Apple Dictionary.com
“Can We Use Soar as a Noun?” English Language & Usage. Stack Exchange. 14 Oct 2018. Web. 2 Apr 2021. <https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/466704/can-we-use-soar-as-a-noun>.
Lexico.com: soar
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Exercise for Flexibility by Lorenzo7070 is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay.
