face soured

USAGE SUMMARY

"face soured" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone's facial expression changing to one of displeasure or disapproval. Example: "When he heard the news, his face soured immediately." Alternative expressions include "face fell" and "expression darkened."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Literary Fiction

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

His face soured when he realized that I had been a liar -- and a pretty good one at that.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"Lebanon runs on cheap Syrian labour," a young Lebanese aid worker told me, his face souring.

Vice

"Lebanon runs on cheap Syrian labor," a young Lebanese aid worker told me, his face souring.

Vice

At one point, early on, before the Abramsons and the others arrived, Miriam had been rearranging the flowers in the big cut-glass vase she'd inherited from her mother, soliciting Marsha's opinion, just chattering, that was all, when Seldy, her face sour and her lips drawn down, snapped at her out of nowhere.

The New Yorker

Latvia is likely to be allowed to run a 7% deficit for this year in return for promising, really and truly, to reach 4% in 2010.A third change is that more aid has been given to western banks that face souring loans, typically to clients in Hungary and the Baltic states who borrowed in euros or Swiss francs.

The Economist

His face souring only momentarily, Justin tells us everybody has a blog today and people can say anything they want on the internet.

Vice

My American passport turns his face sour with distaste but he stumbles on the first page and does a double take between my photo and me.

Vice

He stares at Liam adoringly, but when he walks off stage and Noel takes the lead on "Don't Look Back in Anger", the guy's face sours and he stops singing completely.

Vice

California Waters Face Sour Future: Over the next few decades, coastal waters off of California, Oregon, and Washington will likely become acidic enough from increased absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide to harm the rich fisheries and diverse marine ecosystems there, according to a new study, reports Peter Spotts at the Christian Science Monitor.

Huffington Post

Your face would sour the milk!" Nobody seemed to hear her, but I did and I looked at Miss Connolly, who made a horse face, which meant that she had heard her, too.

The New Yorker

And scraping the bottom of the barrel, there's an utterly bizarre rant from Leo McKinstry in the Express, titled: "Brexit and Rio are a smack in the face for sour-faced EU-lovers who REJECT national pride," which doesn't really need to be quoted any further than than.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with sensory details like a sharp intake of breath or a tightening of the jaw to enhance the narrative impact.

Common error

Do not use "face soured" if the reaction is purely physical (like eating a lemon) unless you want to lean into a pun. In metaphorical contexts, ensure the catalyst for the expression is a social or emotional event rather than a physical taste.

Linguistic Context

In the examples provided by Ludwig, "face soured" functions primarily as a predicative verb phrase where the face (the subject) undergoes a metaphorical transformation. It effectively communicates a visible change in internal state through a physical description.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Fiction & Literature

20%

Wiki & General Interest

5%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Science

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "face soured" is a potent linguistic tool for writers aiming to show rather than tell. While the exact match appears with a frequency labeled as Rare by Ludwig AI, its variations (such as "making a sour face" or "face went sour") are ubiquitous in high-tier journalism and literature. It serves as an excellent shorthand for sudden disapproval or irritation. Data from Ludwig shows that this phrase is most effective when describing a reactive shift in social dynamics, particularly in narrative-driven news or fiction. It remains a correct, standard, and highly descriptive choice for modern English writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

face fell

Suggests sudden disappointment or loss of hope rather than just displeasure

expression darkened

Implies a shift toward anger or seriousness

countenance clouded

A more poetic or literary way to describe a change in mood

scowled

A more active and aggressive expression of disapproval

grimaced

Focuses on the physical contortion of the face due to pain or disgust

mouth curled

Indicates a more specific feeling of contempt or mockery

look turned bitter

Emphasizes the specific emotional quality of resentment

frowned deeply

A standard description of disapproval or confusion

features tightened

Implies tension or suppression of emotion rather than overt sourness

sneered

Suggests a specific combination of sourness and superiority

FAQs

How do I use "face soured" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a reaction to disappointment, such as: "His "face soured" as soon as the referee blew the whistle." This is confirmed as a natural usage by Ludwig.

What is the difference between "face soured" and "face fell"?

While both describe a negative shift, a "face fell" usually implies disappointment or sadness, whereas "face soured" typically suggests irritation, disapproval, or a sudden change to a bad mood.

Can I use "face turned sour" instead?

Yes, "face turned sour" is a very common and perfectly interchangeable variation that emphasizes the process of the change.

Is "face soured" considered formal?

It is neutral and descriptive. It is frequently found in high-quality journalism and fiction, such as in The New Yorker, but it is less common in strictly technical or scientific writing.