contriteness

noun

as in remorse
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing his determination to make things right again was seen as a sign of his sincere contriteness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 contriteness Recently, however, pride has partly given way to contriteness as President Emmanuel Macron, aware of France’s legacy as a former heavy-handed empire, has attempted to make amends for mistakes during the country’s imperial past. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriteness
  1. remorse
  2. guilt
  3. regret
Noun
  • The character’s remorse and disgrace become a pivotal part of the movie’s third act, which ends almost entirely differently than Homer’s nearly 3,000-year-old tome.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • The probable cause affidavit states that in an interview after his arrest, Lequerique expressed remorse, acknowledged the X account was his and admitted to altering images and searching online for similar material.
    — Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026
Definition of remorse
Noun
  • Diamond said there’s no doubt the Park Fire was a tragedy for many people, but that the prosecution did not prove her client’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • The film is said to follow a repressed philosophy professor who has been grappling with lingering guilt over a decision from his past when the victim suddenly returns to his life.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of guilt
Noun
  • When the deadline passed, a follow-up note indicated that Nancy had died and, per NBC News, did not express regret or seek payment for her body.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
  • The floods drew attention to still unhealed wounds — and lingering regrets.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of regret

Browse Nearby Words

contrite
contriteness
contrition
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contriteness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriteness. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All