sorry

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adjective sor·ry \ ˈsär-ē , ˈsȯr- \

Definition of sorry

sorrier; sorriest

1 :feeling sorrow, regret, or penitence

2 :mournful, sad

3 :inspiring sorrow, pity, scorn, or ridicule :pitiful

their affairs were in a sorry state

—

sorrily

play \ˈsär-ə-lē, ˈsȯr-\ adverb

—

sorriness

play \ˈsär-ē-nəs, ˈsȯr-\ noun

See sorry defined for English-language learners

See sorry defined for kids

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 of sorry from the Web

No one outside Cincinnati is going to feel sorry for him.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Roger Goodell's latitude is excessive in cases like Vontaze Burfict hit," 29 Aug. 2017
And to make things worse, the poor souls who stick around in July and August have to put up with Spain’s sorry excuse for summer’s greatest panacea—iced coffee.

— benjamin kemper, CNT, "Why Good Iced Coffee Is Hard to Find in Spain," 5 Aug. 2017
The Virginian was gone, cancelled, leaving my mother with a sorry choice between Bat Masterson and the hundredth replay of the Gunsmoke where Miss Kitty gets kidnapped.

— rick bragg, Southern Living, "Cowboys are Her Weakness," 11 July 2017
McClure certainly tries to sound incredibly sorry in his apology letter.

— kaitlin menza, SELF, "Dave McClure's Apology for Sexual Harassment Isn't Applause-Worthy—It's the Bare Minimum," 7 July 2017
Your communication skills are strong again today, and after Wednesday's revelations, today’s a good opportunity to make like Justin Bieber and say sorry.

— jodie layne, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 2 July 2017
So sorry, fast food chains on I-20 between Atlanta and Birmingham.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Atlanta," 30 June 2017
Twenty years later, Joel Schumacher is still really sorry about messing up Batman & Robin, the campy, critically bashed superhero film that introduced the world to a truly unholy sight: batsuit nipples.

— yohana desta, VanityFair.com, "Joel Schumacher Knows Those Bat-Nipples Are “Going to Be on My Tombstone”," 14 June 2017
But the author's reading renders the tale amorphous, beating it into a blurry nebula with every syllable uttered in his sorry state.

— jenni laidman, chicagotribune.com, "Audiobook roundup: Shelley Atkinson sparkles with 'The Blood Miracles'," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sorry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sorry

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sorry Synonyms

Synonyms

cheap, cruddy, deplorable, despicable, dirty, grubby, lame, lousy, mean, nasty, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, ratty, scabby, scummy, scurvy, sneaking, contemptible, wretched

Antonyms

admirable, commendable, creditable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy

Near Antonyms

high-minded, honest, honorable, noble, principled, redoubtable, reputable, right-minded, scrupulous, upright; ethical, good, moral, right, righteous, virtuous

Synonym Discussion of 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

SORRY Defined for English Language Learners

sorry

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adjective

Definition of sorry for English Language Learners

: feeling sorrow or regret
—used to express polite regret
—used to introduce disappointing or bad news in a polite way

SORRY Defined for Kids

sorry

play

adjective sor·ry \ ˈsär-ē \

Definition of sorry for Students

sorrier; sorriest

1 :feeling sorrow or regret

I'm sorry I lied.

2 :causing sorrow, pity, or scorn :pitiful

a sorry sight

a sorry excuse

Learn More about sorry

See words that rhyme with sorry Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sorry Spanish Central: Translation of sorry Nglish: Translation of sorry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sorry for Arabic speakers

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Definition of sorry

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Examples of sorry in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of sorry

sorry Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of sorry

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SORRY Defined for English Language Learners

sorry

Definition of sorry for English Language Learners

SORRY Defined for Kids

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