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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrite
Only one of the officers has been sentenced: a former community service officer named Samantha Peterson, who avoided jail time after reading a contrite statement in court.
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Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024
Waving the Bible without being contrite is hypocrisy.
—Tj Hutchinson, The Denver Post, 24 May 2024
The night before the announcement, an Amazon Alexa executive called one of the Nucleus cofounders with a heads up about the impending product announcement and ended with a contrite apology.
—Dana Mattioli, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
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, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrite 
Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024
Waving the Bible without being contrite is hypocrisy.
—Tj Hutchinson, The Denver Post, 24 May 2024
The night before the announcement, an Amazon Alexa executive called one of the Nucleus cofounders with a heads up about the impending product announcement and ended with a contrite apology.
—Dana Mattioli, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
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, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrite
Adjective
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Higgins no longer drinks, and has been remorseful since she was first taken into custody, Gipson-McLean said.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2024
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When deputies showed up at his home, Colin Gray did not appear remorseful, Ward testified.Devon M. Sayers, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Later, Pryor’s widow Jennifer confirmed the rumor, telling TMZ that her late husband was always open about his bisexuality with friends and would not be ashamed that the relationship was revealed publicly.Stephanie Petit, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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In Horse Crazy, Indiana’s first and best novel, his unnamed narrator invites a prospective boyfriend to his similarly cluttered apartment and feels ashamed—not of its mess, exactly, but of the sheer number of books on his shelves.Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Moana 2, the sequel to everybody’s favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda–scored Disney movie (sorry, Encanto), is heading straight for movie theaters today, compelling all families with children aged 4 to 12 to go to the movies over Thanksgiving break.Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
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And sorry, Santa, no one squeezes through tight spaces in a building to get the job done – in the case of this classic action film, thwarting terrorists and saving his estranged wife – better than Bruce Willis' iconic John McClane. 6.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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While apologetic about how vendors have been treated, the executives urged them to stick with Saks and Saks Off 5th, and expressed extreme confidence that the deal to buy the Neiman Marcus Group would soon close, ultimately benefiting — and not hurting — them.Evan Clark, WWD, 27 Nov. 2024
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The man who had been yelling at Kelce for the past few minutes, meanwhile, switched to an apologetic, complimentary demeanor, and appeared to be embarrassed by his actions.Bailey Richards, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In his new statement, Suga took an even more repentant tone, apologizing for damaging his reputation and disappointing fans while opening himself to any further punishment.Justin Curto, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2024
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Released 24 years after a debut verse on an album no less auspicious than Outkast’s Stankonia, this was a veteran artist taking stock, vividly drawing the lines between the struggling kid and the grateful, repentant adult.Christopher R. Weingarten, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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But with Cash on the vocals, the song and the man singing are nearly penitent.EW.com, EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023
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Eighteen years later, playing the beloved daughter of Al Pacino’s Michael, she is shot dead on the steps of the opera house in Palermo, taking a bullet meant for the belatedly penitent godfather, who now comprehends without any doubt that there is no escaping the sins of his or his relatives’ past.Andrew Marzoni, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
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A day later, Harbaugh wasn’t so much as regretful as he was discontented.Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024
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He's earned this opportunity by growing into what appears to be a good young man after being, like many of us, a youth full of regretful decisions.Phil Hay, The Athletic, 3 Aug. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near contrite
Cite this Entry
“Contrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrite. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
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