1
a
: deep distress, sadness, or regret especially for the loss of someone or something loved
b
: resultant unhappy or unpleasant state
to their great sorrow they could not marry
2
: a cause of grief or sadness
3
: a display of grief or sadness
sorrowed; sorrowing; sorrows
: to feel or express sorrow
Synonyms
Examples of sorrow in a Sentence
Noun
I felt sorrow at the death of my friend.
a life filled with joys and sorrows
She had a secret sorrow.
Verb
a sorrowing mother, grieving over the death of her son
the soldier's widow continued to sorrow long after her husband's last letter had turned yellow with age
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Our Judaism cannot be protected by the rampaging military of that state, for all that military does is sow sorrow and reap hatred — including against us as Jews.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
The 11-track collection showcases the breadth of his writing with songs of love, family, sorrow, beauty, spiritual salvation, survival and redemption, all sung in his unmistakable voice.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2024
But days later, that anger turned to sorrow upon learning Bryant had been found dead, alone in her room.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
The central relationship, though, is between Ponyboy and Johnny Cade (Sky Lakota-Lynch), a 16-year-old already bearing a life’s worth of sorrow.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The sorrow and anger repressed within him are as fearsome as the cinematic zombies, ghouls and homicidal maniacs that have seized his imagination.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Their followers shared their prayers and expressed their sorrows in the comments section of the post.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
As has been true for centuries, in times of both fortune and sorrow, it is being observed around the world this year with public prayer and festivities.
—Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
Finney-Smith has become fan favorite in Dallas, so much so that fan reaction on social media was split between excitement and shock that the Mavericks acquired eight-time All-Star Irving, but also sorrow about Finney-Smith departure.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
The ghosts of their late partners are equally grief-stricken, but instead of succumbing to sorrow, the spirits decide to matchmake their survivors.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
Oh dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden.
—Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 30 Jan. 2023
As the story of SoulShine's contribution made its way onto the news and social media, people expressed appreciation for Garem and the company's creative contributions –and sorrow that the task was required.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 June 2022
As Russia celebrated its most emotional holiday commemorating the Nazi defeat in World War II, Putin appeared in Red Square to invoke pride and sorrow over the Soviet role then and to cast Russia’s battles in Ukraine now as such a just cause.
—Washington Post, 9 May 2022
The book is one of triumph and also sorrow, including the many Black actors and actresses who died young without ever finding the success their talents merited.
—Kate Tuttle, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2021
And sorrow, as Marcus Arbery moved away from the line of charter buses and into the crowd of people standing where his youngest child had laid motionless and bleeding 20 months prior.
—Asia Simone Burns, ajc, 25 Oct. 2021
Noun
The Cahuilla believe that red rocks are evidence of the shaman’s eternal sorrow.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Our Judaism cannot be protected by the rampaging military of that state, for all that military does is sow sorrow and reap hatred — including against us as Jews.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
The 11-track collection showcases the breadth of his writing with songs of love, family, sorrow, beauty, spiritual salvation, survival and redemption, all sung in his unmistakable voice.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2024
But days later, that anger turned to sorrow upon learning Bryant had been found dead, alone in her room.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
The central relationship, though, is between Ponyboy and Johnny Cade (Sky Lakota-Lynch), a 16-year-old already bearing a life’s worth of sorrow.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The sorrow and anger repressed within him are as fearsome as the cinematic zombies, ghouls and homicidal maniacs that have seized his imagination.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Their followers shared their prayers and expressed their sorrows in the comments section of the post.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
As has been true for centuries, in times of both fortune and sorrow, it is being observed around the world this year with public prayer and festivities.
—Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
The challenge for the author is to write a pulse-pounding thriller without sorrowing over this injustice too much.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
Finney-Smith has become fan favorite in Dallas, so much so that fan reaction on social media was split between excitement and shock that the Mavericks acquired eight-time All-Star Irving, but also sorrow about Finney-Smith departure.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
The ghosts of their late partners are equally grief-stricken, but instead of succumbing to sorrow, the spirits decide to matchmake their survivors.
—People Staff, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023
Oh dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden.
—Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 30 Jan. 2023
As the story of SoulShine's contribution made its way onto the news and social media, people expressed appreciation for Garem and the company's creative contributions –and sorrow that the task was required.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 June 2022
As Russia celebrated its most emotional holiday commemorating the Nazi defeat in World War II, Putin appeared in Red Square to invoke pride and sorrow over the Soviet role then and to cast Russia’s battles in Ukraine now as such a just cause.
—Washington Post, 9 May 2022
The book is one of triumph and also sorrow, including the many Black actors and actresses who died young without ever finding the success their talents merited.
—Kate Tuttle, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Nov. 2021
And sorrow, as Marcus Arbery moved away from the line of charter buses and into the crowd of people standing where his youngest child had laid motionless and bleeding 20 months prior.
—Asia Simone Burns, ajc, 25 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorrow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sorrow
Cite this Entry
“Sorrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorrow. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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