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Prepositions after adjectives

sore from or sore for?

Sore from is the normal expression for physical pain caused by an activity. Sore for is rare and has different meanings in fixed expressions.

Quick answer

Which form is correct?

Use sore from to describe pain caused by exercise, illness, or strain. Sore for is uncommon after sore and usually appears in fixed expressions such as sore for something meaning eager or lacking something.

My legs are sore from yesterday's run.
She was sore from carrying heavy boxes.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
sore from + activity

Talking about the cause of physical pain

Sore from explains what caused discomfort or pain.

His shoulders were sore from swimming.
2
sore after + event

Talking about pain following an activity

After focuses on time rather than direct cause.

I felt sore after the match.
3
sore for + noun

Rare expression meaning eager or lacking

Sore for is uncommon and usually literary or regional.

The team was sore for a victory.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
sore from
I'm sore from lifting weights.
physical pain caused by something
sore for
They were sore for change.
rare expression meaning eager for or lacking something
sore after
She was sore after yoga.
pain following an activity
sore with
He spoke with a sore throat.
With introduces a separate condition, not a complement after sore

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using sore for physical pain

Use sore from for the cause of physical discomfort.

✕ My arms are sore for tennis. ✓ My arms are sore from tennis.

Confusing from and after

From emphasises cause, while after emphasises time.

✕ I am sore after lifting heavy boxes all day. ✓ I am sore from lifting heavy boxes all day.

Using sore to describe illness incorrectly

Use a noun phrase such as sore throat rather than sore for throat.

✕ I am sore for my throat. ✓ I have a sore throat.

Overusing sore for

Sore for is rare in modern everyday English.

✕ She is sore for exercise. ✓ She is sore from exercise.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. My back is ___ gardening.
2. The players were ___ a win after months of losses.
3. I felt sore ___ the race.

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Frequently asked questions

Is sore from correct?

Yes. It is the normal way to describe pain caused by an activity or condition.

Is sore for common in modern English?

No. It is uncommon and usually appears in fixed or literary expressions.

What is the difference between sore from and sore after?

From emphasises cause, while after emphasises timing.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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