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as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness was sorry to see the family farm being sold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sorry different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sorry are contemptible, despicable, pitiable, and scurvy. While all these words mean "arousing or deserving scorn," sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

When is contemptible a more appropriate choice than sorry?

The meanings of contemptible and sorry largely overlap; however, contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

When might despicable be a better fit than sorry?

The synonyms despicable and sorry are sometimes interchangeable, but despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

Where would pitiable be a reasonable alternative to sorry?

While in some cases nearly identical to sorry, pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

How are the words scurvy and despicable related as synonyms of sorry?

Scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sorry As for the Charter-Cox potential dominance in cable, sorry, but that’s a declining industry. Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025 Enid, perhaps having learned from her failure to communicate with Ajax, confronts Wednesday over the sorry state of their friendship. Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 At the end of the day, Ohtani was pitching into the fourth inning for the first time since his second Tommy John surgery, so the Dodgers were likely playing it safe rather than sorry. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025 Screenwriter Busch, who, gay and in his 30s, played the 16-year-old teenage girl Gidget — sorry, Chicklet — in his original off-Broadway stage show here plays the detective-in-drag investigating the murders. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • How long is unknown, but with the season winding down and every game increasing in importance, any game off for Tucker is a sad statement on how far his stock has dropped in the last month.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
  • But the film’s precise, funny characters and vivid, sweltering look would have meant nothing without Lee’s wise and ultimately sad vision of multicultural America as a place where good intentions and casual mistrust are as commonplace as the local pizzeria.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Two things were completely predictable after Donald Trump’s pathetic stunt, packing the streets of Washington, DC, with National Guard members and federal agents, allegedly to combat crime.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • How petty and pathetic and thin-skinned could this administration get?
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Many scam victims are embarrassed and ashamed to admit publicly that they were taken in.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Being frugal isn’t something that people should be ashamed of; frugality can lead to the wildest innovations.
    Vivek Bhaskaran, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • And a surprising amount of grace from staff who, although unhappy with the changes, felt respected.
    Taazima Kala, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The Heat, at the time, wanted to dump Lowry — who was unhappy about his diminished role — and believed Rozier would give Miami an offensive infusion.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Adams leads the cast as Marianne, a heartbroken, struggling young painter who escapes to the countryside with her best friends — Lila (Nell Williams, A24’s Huntington) and Betty (Jessamine-Bliss Bell, Bodies) — for what should be a healing retreat.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Continue reading … 'PRAYERS TO EVERYBODY' – Minnesota Timberwolves star Julius Randle said news of the horrific shooting that left at least two people dead and 17 others injured at a church in his team's home city left him heartbroken.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The White House disputes the prediction, arguing the Congressional Budget Office is a poor predictor of outcomes.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The Philadelphia Phillies released reliever Joe Ross on Tuesday due to poor performances.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Fried wasn’t the only reason the Yankees lost on Sunday, as the Bombers’ bats were pitiful against Jason Alexander.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
  • This negative sentiment was also felt on both sides of the Atlantic, given their pitiful plummet in popularity.
    Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.

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