as in remorseful
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done
being contrite is not enough to spare you a detention if you're caught skipping class
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrite
That's why Gausman was contrite despite a mostly fantastic effort.
—
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The dispatches from one of India’s most troubled generic drug makers were contrite, filled with far-reaching promises to clean up its factory, stop contamination and send safe medication to Americans counting on the company’s drugs.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2025
Van Buren returns shortly with a newly contrite attitude, having come around to his library’s merits and read up on Toth’s prior designs in Hungary.
—Anthony Paletta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Feb. 2025
Everyone would be expecting a contrite performance from him, tepid jokes about male-female relationships, jokes about how horrible men were, and so on.
—Camille Bordas, Harper's Magazine, 2 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrite
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The dispatches from one of India’s most troubled generic drug makers were contrite, filled with far-reaching promises to clean up its factory, stop contamination and send safe medication to Americans counting on the company’s drugs.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2025
Van Buren returns shortly with a newly contrite attitude, having come around to his library’s merits and read up on Toth’s prior designs in Hungary.
—Anthony Paletta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Feb. 2025
Everyone would be expecting a contrite performance from him, tepid jokes about male-female relationships, jokes about how horrible men were, and so on.
—Camille Bordas, Harper's Magazine, 2 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrite
Adjective
-
She's been remorseful since day 1.—
March 16,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Melling’s scenes all took place in the objectively less exciting muggle universe, occurring along a fairly straightforward arc from spoiled bully to remorseful young adult.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many parents feel ashamed to ask for help, but reaching out builds connection and shows strength, not failure.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The mom finally revealed that her daughter was taking weight loss supplements but had been too ashamed to say so.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Doing anything 98 times is a lot, and that certainly applies to the world’s most popular and prestigious award show (sorry about it, Alfred Nobel).—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Pedro Neto said sorry for pushing a ball boy during Chelsea’s defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, and also gave the kid his shirt — but UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the winger regardless.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Eventually, he was escorted out of the event space, with Palmer looking concerned for him and apologetic toward her co-stars and the crowd.—
William Earl,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
In a lengthy and apologetic statement, Altman claimed that OpenAI was now altering the terms of its Pentagon deal to explicitly prohibit the use of its AI systems to surveil US citizens, exhibiting a degree of people-pleasing normally witnessed in its sycophantic chatbots.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Johnson wrote in a letter in the filing to the Illinois review board that Hoover is repentant and has the potential and the desire to live the rest of his life as a force for good in his community.—
Beatrice Peterson,
ABC News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Perry had been reluctant to engage with recovery groups in the past, which are often structured around repentant confessions.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
It is flanked on all sides by footlong rulers (emblazoned, like the yardsticks, with an assortment of penitent phrases including YES, SISTER and NO, SISTER) marking the hours.—
Alex Jovanovich,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
-
When in the presence of God, one is meant to assume a penitent air.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
And the conflict behind it all dates back to a regretful college recruitment and housing decision.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
My regretful error was not planning to give myself enough time to properly shop.—
Colleen McNally Arnett,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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