# sour grapes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sour-grapes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Things that somebody pretends to despise because they cannot obtain or have them.

## Examples

- He says he hates the prize, but that is just sour grapes.
- She claims she did not want the promotion anyway, but it sounds like sour grapes to me.
- His dismissive critique of the award-winning film appeared to be nothing more than sour grapes after his own project was rejected.

## Origin

The term originates from the ancient Greek fabulist Aesop and his narrative The Fox and the Grapes. In the story, a fox finds himself unable to reach a cluster of grapes hanging from a high vine and, after several failed attempts to jump for them, chooses to depart. To manage the inconvenience of his failure, the animal declares that the grapes were likely sour and therefore not worth the effort of acquisition. The phrase has functioned in English as a shorthand for the disparagement of things one cannot obtain. It describes the precise moment when an unattainable object is suddenly discovered to be of poor quality, a convenient shift in perspective that allows the frustrated party to preserve their dignity while leaving empty-handed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.