sorry

adjective

sor·​ry ˈsär-ē How to pronounce sorry (audio)
ˈsȯr-
sorrier; sorriest
1
a
: feeling sorrow or sympathy
I'm so sorry for your loss.
We were very sorry to hear the news.
She felt sorry for him. [=she felt sympathy and concern for him because of his situation, problems, etc.]
He told me to stop feeling sorry for myself. [=to stop indulging in self-pity]
b
: feeling regret or penitence
He was sorry about what he had said.
"I wanted to apologize," she said, "for my abominable rudeness in laughing at you just now. It was idiotic of me and I don't know why I did it. I'm sorry."P. G. Wodehouse
"… I'm so sorry, but the tongs were too hot, and so I've made a mess," groaned poor Jo, regarding the little black pancakes with tears of regret.Louisa May Alcott
I am sorry we have ever differed, and extremely sorry I have ever given you offence.Charles Dickens
used to express polite regret
I'm sorry, but I think you're wrong.
I'm sorry to interrupt you.
used to introduce disappointing or bad news in a polite way
I'm sorry, but we won't be able to come.
used as an apology for a minor fault or offense
Oh, sorry—that was clumsy of me.
I'm late again. Sorry about that. [=I'm sorry; I apologize]
2
: mournful, sad
Rilla remembered one moonlit evening of childhood when she had said to her mother, "The moon just looks like a sorry, sorry face."Lucy Maud Montgomery
3
: inspiring sorrow, pity, scorn, or ridicule : pitiful
Their affairs were in a sorry state.
Lawrence blushed, and then smiled awkwardly. A man in love is a sorry spectacle.Agatha Christie
In view of the sorry treatment of the Native Americans of the US, it is time that their voice was heard a little more clearly in contemporary American society.Tim Flannery
… had been on her way to work when her rusted-out, … sorry excuse for a car … choked on its last drop of gasoline, then died.Ingrid Law
sorrily
ˈsär-ə-lē How to pronounce sorry (audio)
ˈsȯr-
adverb
sorriness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for sorry

contemptible, despicable, pitiable, sorry, scurvy mean arousing or deserving scorn.

contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

Examples of sorry in a Sentence

I'm sorry if I offended you. She was sorry to hear about their divorce. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for saying that. I'm sorry that I wasted your time. What a sorry state of affairs we're in now. That's the sorriest excuse I've heard.
Recent Examples on the Web That’s what counts as a silver lining to this sorry tale. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 More importantly, Girls on the Bus regularly has the campaign take a backseat (sorry) to the characters’ relationship drama. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 This preponderance of non-urgent alarms reflects a ‘better safe than sorry’ philosophy to alarm signaling. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 People are trapped in polarization these days and vote for the candidate of their party, regardless of any character flaws — Donald Trump‘s followers being the sorriest example. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The new ones have a better nozzle design that provides improved protection against clogging from earwax (sorry about that). Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Warmth may continue to increase our pollen levels, too — sorry, allergy sufferers. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 Simon raised his hand to exit the virtual world, but Martin quickly stood, looking sorry. Karl Schroeder, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024 Make the look all your own—sorry, Dad—with some cherry-red heels and an on-trend rosette bag that elevate this outfit into all-timer territory. Jake Smith, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sory, from Old English sārig, from sār sore

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorry was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sorry

Cite this Entry

“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sorry

adjective
sor·​ry ˈsär-ē How to pronounce sorry (audio)
ˈsȯr-
sorrier; sorriest
1
: feeling sorrow or regret
2
3
: causing sorrow, pity, or scorn : wretched
sorriness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sorry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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