sour grapes
Say it: sour GRAYPS /ˌsaʊə ˈɡreɪps/ · idiom
What “sour grapes” means
Pretending something isn't worth having because you can't have it.
More precisely: Pretending you don't want something because you can't have it.
When to use it
When someone dismisses something they wanted after failing to get it. Informal and mildly critical of their bitterness.
Memory trick
Picture a fox dismissing juicy grapes only after discovering they are out of reach.
Similar words
bitterness, envy, resentment
Where it comes from
From Aesop's fable of the fox who decides grapes he can't reach are sour.
Quick check
After failing to win a lovely bicycle, your friend insists it was ugly and useless anyway. That's…
sour grapes or a change of heart?
Show the answer
sour grapes
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