“Sour grapes” is the phrase for pretending to scorn what you secretly wanted but couldn’t have. Here is what it means, where it comes from, how to use it, and a few sayings that share its insight.
What Does “Sour Grapes” Mean?
The phrase describes the way people sometimes pretend to despise or dismiss something simply because they cannot have it. Rather than admit disappointment, they tell themselves — and everyone else — that they never really wanted it anyway, or that it was no good in the first place. It is a way of protecting wounded pride, and “sour grapes” is the label we put on that thin disguise for envy or regret.
Origin of the Proverb
The phrase comes straight from Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes.” A hungry fox spies a bunch of ripe grapes hanging high on a vine and leaps again and again to reach them, but cannot. At last he gives up and walks away, muttering that the grapes were probably sour and not worth having anyway. From that little story, more than two thousand years old, “sour grapes” entered the language as the perfect name for despising what is simply out of reach.
Examples in a Sentence
- “He said he didn’t want the promotion anyway, but that’s just sour grapes.”
- “Calling the prize ‘worthless’ after losing it is pure sour grapes.”
- “Don’t let sour grapes stop you from congratulating the winner.”
Similar Proverbs
- The grapes are sour, said the fox — the older, fuller form of the same idea.
- The fox condemns the trap, not himself — blaming the thing you failed at.
- A bad workman blames his tools — finding fault outside yourself for your own failure.
- To despise what one cannot get — the plain meaning of sour grapes.
For more sayings drawn from fables and human nature, see our smart thoughts and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “sour grapes” mean?
It means pretending to despise something you actually wanted but couldn’t have, in order to protect your pride.
Where does the phrase come from?
It comes from Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes,” in which a fox who cannot reach some grapes declares they were probably sour anyway.
What is a similar saying?
“A bad workman blames his tools” shares the idea of finding fault outside yourself rather than admitting your own failure or disappointment.