1
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
one more sorry stunt like that and you'll be fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
we have sorry news to report tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the ragtag circus was a sorry spectacle indeed
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4
as in ashamed
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done
she's genuinely sorry for hurting his feelings
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5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
was sorry to see the family farm being sold
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6
as in heartbroken
expressing or suggesting mourning
those sorry rituals that we go through when somebody dies are not for the dead but for the living
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7
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
some sorry wretch had the task of putting all of those files back in order
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sorry
Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us.
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, right-wing journalist Nick Sortor did not feel sorry for Lemon after he was arrested in Portland last fall for documenting violent anti-ICE protesters.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
In the footage, Rivera is initially apologetic to the trooper who pulls him over, saying sorry for going through a red light.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Bloom’s Keiwon Gulley is too irrepressible and in the moment to ever feel sorry for himself.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, right-wing journalist Nick Sortor did not feel sorry for Lemon after he was arrested in Portland last fall for documenting violent anti-ICE protesters.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
In the footage, Rivera is initially apologetic to the trooper who pulls him over, saying sorry for going through a red light.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Bloom’s Keiwon Gulley is too irrepressible and in the moment to ever feel sorry for himself.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
-
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie's Arizona community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening while the world can't look away from an incident that is deeply, horrifically sad and frightening.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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The song is sophisticated and simple, sad and somehow triumphant.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These attempts at sowing division are pathetic and getting boring.—
Rhyma Castillo,
San Antonio Express-News,
29 Jan. 2026
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For Guardiola to focus on lambasting Hallam was pretty pathetic, all told.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Additionally, Williams feels proud of how her transparency has helped others not feel ashamed of doing what’s best for their health, especially considering there's been a lot of controversy surrounding the use of GLP-1 medications.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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As explained above, that’s nothing to be ashamed about with how well the Clippers are playing.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Many people have a profound attachment to suffering and staying in unhappy relationships and so a lot of my work is trying to figure out why.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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The day after the Super Bowl, some people are guaranteed to be unhappy.—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though heartbroken, Punsalan and Swallow decided to compete at Lillehammer anyway.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
3 Feb. 2026
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An internal exam performed by her doctor indicated signs of a miscarriage at just five weeks, leaving her and her husband heartbroken.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The latest information from the National Council on Problem Gambling shows adolescent problem gambling leads to a complex mix of criminal behavior, poor academic achievement, truancy, financial problems, depression, suicide and substance abuse.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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Congratulations to Umpire Engzell for being virtually the only person to call her out on her poor tennis behavior.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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