sourball

[ souuhr-bawl, sou-er- ]

noun

1. a round piece of hard candy with a tart or acid fruit flavoring.
2. Informal. a chronic grouch.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sourball¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; sour + ball ¹

Example Sentences

It’s an undemandingly enjoyable and reassuringly predictable dramedy in which nothing, not even the sourball attitudes of its comically unpleasant malcontents, ever is allowed to get out of hand or unduly strain credibility.”

From Washington Post

So how can anyone who likes green sourballs criticize me for preferring a nice penny loafer or a bedroom slipper?

From Literature

Among its choice lines: “The sourball of every revolution: after the revolution, who’s going to pick up the garbage on Monday morning?”

From New York Times

When I was hospitalized in the early 1980s with an acute case of ulcerative colitis, the doctors tried to save my inflamed colon by throttling my diet down to ice chips and sourballs.

From New York Times

"Oh, hush!" sobbed the giant, rolling his great sourball eyes.

From Project Gutenberg