Like a bear with a sore head means very grumpy and in a bad mood. It describes someone who is irritated and snaps at the people around them: they haven't slept, they are tired or they have had bad news. The idiom is British, informal and slightly humorous. In writing, use irritable or bad-tempered instead.
When would you say like a bear with a sore head?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the expression fits the situation and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
be + like a bear with a sore head (+ all day/this morning)
- Dad is like a bear with a sore head until he's had his morning coffee.
- After the meeting went badly, our manager was like a bear with a sore head all afternoon.
- Sorry I was like a bear with a sore head yesterday; I'd hardly slept.
What changed
First versionDon't ask Igor for anything today because he's as angry as a dog.
RevisionDon't ask Igor for anything today because he's like a bear with a sore head.
As angry as a dog is a word-for-word translation of a comparison from another language. The meaning is clear, but English speakers don't say it: in English, this role goes to a bear with a sore head. Only the comparison was replaced.
The idiom describes a bad mood that someone takes out on others, not just sadness. If someone suddenly loses control, say lose your temper or see red: When he saw the scratch on his car, he saw red. In American English, people are more likely to say grumpy or cranky instead of the idiom.
Your turn
Tom hadn't slept because of his noisy neighbours, so at work he was ___ and snapped at everyone.
Show the answer
like a bear with a sore head — Tom hadn't slept and snapped at everyone, so he was in a bad mood: like a bear with a sore head. Like a fish out of water means “uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place”: that is about a new situation, not lack of sleep.
Think of a time when you or someone you know was in a bad mood and snapped at others. Say what caused the bad mood and who it was taken out on.
My brother was like a bear with a sore head after his flight was cancelled, and he shouted at the poor airline staff.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.