Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

sorrow

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of sorrow

to feel deep sadness or mental pain
  • the soldierʼs widow continued to sorrow long after her husbandʼs last letter had turned yellow with age
Synonyms of sorrow

agonize, anguish, bleed, grieve, hurt, mourn, suffer
Words Related to sorrow

ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart

rack, torment, torture

bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue

bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl

languish

regret
Phrases Synonymous with sorrow

eat one's heart out, tear one's hair
Near Antonyms of sorrow

beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph

assure, cheer, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize

sorrow

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of sorrow

deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
  • he felt great sorrow at the loss of his beloved dog
Synonyms of sorrow

affliction, anguish, dolefulness, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorriness, woe
Words Related to sorrow

agony, distress, pain, suffering, torment

blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness, desolation, despair, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, distress, doldrums, downheartedness, dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness, joylessness, melancholy, miserableness, misery, mopes, oppression, sorrowfulness, unhappiness, woefulness, wretchedness

contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, rue, self-reproach, shame

melancholia, self-pity
Near Antonyms of sorrow

gaiety (also gayety), gayness, humor, jollity, joviality, lightheartedness, merriment, merrymaking, mirth, mirthfulness

hopefulness, optimism, sunniness

enjoyment

content, contentedness, contentment
Antonyms of sorrow

blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, delight, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, pleasure, rapture, rapturousness

Synonym Discussion of sorrow

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind. sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.
    • a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death
grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.
    • the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents
anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.
    • the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child
woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.
    • cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city
regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.
    • nagging regret for missed opportunities

Learn More about sorrow

  1. Dictionary: Definition of sorrow Spanish Central: Translation of sorrow Nglish: Translation of sorrow for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sorrow for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sorrow? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

minion

a servile follower or underling

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. crosshair Roger Stone posts controversial photo

  2. feckless Former RNC chair derides Trump

  3. emergency, national emergency Trump declares crisis over wall

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games