sorriness 1 of 2

sorry

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adjective

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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 sorriness
Adjective
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 sorriness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorriness
Noun
  • On the OpenAI community forums and Reddit, long-time chatters are expressing sorrow at losing access to models like GPT-4o.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
  • As images of starving children in Gaza continue to circulate and the international outcry grows louder, a number of American rabbis used their pulpits to speak up about the humanitarian crisis, some with sorrow, others with moral urgency, and many with a sense that silence was no longer tenable.
    Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
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
  • What’s more pathetic than those who keep selling that myth?
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Kamala has lied for years about their pathetic job growth, which has never been real.
    Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • So many of the women millennials admired were destroyed in this way, becoming objects of ridicule and embarrassment that left us feeling ashamed for our stanning.
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 6 Aug. 2025
  • For those who can’t breastfeed, 52% feel judged, and 56% feel ashamed.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • While the feline escaped unscathed, Lex admitted the incident left her heartbroken.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
  • That’s not to say Moore wasn’t heartbroken or incredibly stressed out during the wildfires.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Additionally, over-saturating with water is a poor choice for these floors.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Specifically, poor capital allocation decisions have destroyed significant value.
    Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sorriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorriness. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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